


The Fae

by Shachacha



Category: Infinite (Band)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-02 11:44:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 101,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10943820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shachacha/pseuds/Shachacha
Summary: In a fantasy world filled with Fae, Nymphs, and other mythical creatures humans find themselves prey to everything around them. There are few ways to survive encounters with the Fae, and some are far more trouble than they are worth, ending in a stripping of self. Not everybody can survive such instances, because of her parents choices Hyunsu's inner strength will be tested to the limit, only in the end will she know if she can survive the world of the Fae.>Transferred from AFF<





	1. Chapter 1

In the past humans found fortune in interspecies relations, the most fruitful relations bore from those with Nymphs as when humans mated with the nymphs they were overwhelmed with wealth of the element it came from. Farmers grew better crops, fishermen found more fish, hunters could navigate easier and found plenty of prey. Over time humans became greedy when they stumbled upon a Nymph of any kind they would claim it immediately, kidnapping it to be their partner. A new job came up, Nymph Hunting, this profession was a good one as they were paid very well by kingdoms and wealthy families all around to find a Nymph spouse for the buyers children. When Nymphs were in Kingdoms they thrived just as well as the common folks lives did. With their carefree and amiable personality the Nymphs could help with neighbouring countries and wealth seemed to multiply in their presence.

 

 Overtime due to constant harassment the Nymphs started to change, no longer would they willing to spend time with people, they grew bitter. The water Nymphs delved deep into their homes not to be seen, the forest Nymphs hid, only appearing to play nasty tricks on the unlucky human that stumbled upon them. But just as humans stole mates the Nymphs started kidnapping the unlucky humans that wandered into their land, some were never seen again, others came back in body, but not in mind. These devious spirits of the elements were renamed Fae, although their external beauty remained their souls grew more corrupt with every generation, each trick worse than the last. Humans refused to go out at night, every kingdom adopted a curfew and only the brave dared to near the waters and forests but nowhere was safe. There were Nymphs after all for everything, for the mountains they hid in, the valleys they encamped in, and the seas they escaped on.

* * *

The tall gates obstructed the only way out of the village. Each plank of wood bleached from the sun sealed the only exit. It was no surprise she had failed to leave, it was as though the world purposefully failed her. Ever since Hyunsu had gone through the village ceremony of womenhood, she had gained an obsession with the outside world. It was her lifelong dream to see the outside world, to experience something more than the mundane life of beating dirty clothes clean and pulling weeds out of the herb garden. But it wasn’t easy to leave, not for a woman like her. When the first colours of twilight appeared in the sky the gates would close and every day she would try to sneak out early but she never made it out. There was always something stopping her, most people would take this as a warning not to leave but Hyunsu only found it was a challenge.

This time around the thing stopping her was the son of the smith, Hyoheon. Hyoheon was a relatively attractive young bachelor that pursued Hyunsu, since their initials were the same he deemed them a couple made in heaven and never left her alone. It wasn't like either of them had much choice for future spouses in such a small town. With so few people he had his pick of women. Every few weeks he came up with a new way to chose the girl that was worth his attention. His logic to weed through the women was not the only thing she hated.  He was also the main reason Hyunsu never made it out of the village, he was always by her side protecting her from everything. This unfortunately included the outside world that she longed for so dearly. ‘Hyoheon,’ Hyunsu grit her teeth letting her annoyance show, she hoped her cold response to his presence would send him away. However, Hyoheon only smiled and leaned against the wooden pillar behind him. His sweaty clothes stank the area around them, filling her breathing space with the scent of coal.

‘Love,’ at the sound of his grainy voice Hyunsu's eyes flashed with anger. She scowled, digging the toe of her leather boot into the dirt of the road. Her body was tense and closed off. ‘You were wandering awfully close to the gate today, I can not imagine why.’ Faking ignorance, Hyoheon tsked and shook his head, ‘it almost looked like you were heading out, but that can not be right, afterall, no women leave the village.’ His thin lips curled into a smile as he imagined himself clever. With what, she didn’t know, but he often congratulated himself.

He was also the most sexist bigot she had ever met. As the son of the smith he was one of the richest people in the village, next to the Lord himself, they could make anything so long as it needed metal, they produced most of the villages cutlery, weapons, jewellery, and locks. So he took it on himself to let every female know just how rich, eligible, and strong he was. Barely a day went by when he wasn’t showing off his muscles, the only thing other than his pride that grew every day he spent at the smithy.

‘I was making sure my brother made it in before the gates closed,’ Hyunsu repeated the phrase she had used every time she missed the gate. She could never tell if she said that for the people that caught her, or to convince herself that was it. 

In order to keep the village safe, men were the only ones allowed out and even then it was only for hunting and very rarely gathering plants for gardens, whether it be vegetables or medicinal herbs. Since her brother was a hunter, she always waited out for him, her longing to leave growing with every day she watched him walk in with fresh kill. Hyunsu felt trapped, she heard stories about the outside world, the strange creatures they had come across, the new scenery, and the odd plants. She just wanted to see them for herself.

Hyoheon breathed out heavily before he licked his lips. ‘How filial.’ He said with a wicked grin, ‘you really are the epitome of the perfect wife, I cannot wait until your father gives me your hand in marriage.’

‘The only thing you’ll be getting is your ass handed to you if you keep cornering my sister like this.’ Like always Zuko approached the two teens, already anticipating their conflict. Sweaty and tired from the hunt, Zuko grunted, and adjusted the young buck he had slung over his shoulder. Hyunsu relaxed as soon as she heard her brother's voice.

Scoffing Hyoheon pushed himself off the pillar using his muscles as much as he could as a last attempt to show his masculinity. Compared to the grisly male next to him he appeared more as a child, ‘like you can touch me.’ Casting his arrogant gaze upon Hyunsu he smirked at her before walking off.

‘You need to stop letting him near you.’ Zuko said before clearing his throat, then dropped the buck on the ground immediately crouching, pressing his palms into his knees to keep him up. The agitated dirt brought welcome relief to Hyunsu, she preferred the smell of dirt to Hyoheon’s rotten smell.

‘You need to stop pretending to be stronger than you are,’ Hyunsu scolded back, ruffling her older brothers hair. ‘You need to bathe,’ she said before wiping her sweat covered fingers on his muddy shirt. She grabbed one of the stumpy antlers with a grin. ‘Help me pull him.’  

With a heavy sigh he roughly grabbed the buck’s antlers and started dragging it along the dirt, ‘Kwan didn’t make it back in time.’ He looked back at the gates listening to the loud pounding from the other side. She hadn’t even noticed the door close. ‘Lets hope he’ll be there in the morning.’

‘You know he won’t.’ Hyunsu said before she scowled and glared down at the ground, watching it slowly move along the closer they got to their house. ‘He’ll get enchanted by the Fae and won’t ever come back, and it’ll be the fault of our need to stick to rules.’ The Fae were monsters, hunting their land and destroying their world. They were the cause of all evil and they were leaving a friend out to their mercy. 

‘The rules are there for a reason.’ Zuko said, his words sounding almost as tired as he was. 

‘You mean like how women aren’t allowed out?’

‘Yes,’ Zuko brushed his bangs out of his face, his sweat slicked hair was starting to fall out of the ponytail he had tied it into.

‘You know the only reason they target women is because that’s what we did too.’ Hyunsu hissed, within a moment her brother dropped his hold on the antlers and pressed his dirty hands against her mouth, filling her nose with the scent of blood, sweat, and dirt.

‘Be careful what you say, sister. You know what will happen if the elders hear you talking,’ despite scolding her, her brothers tone was soft and understanding, he agreed completely. Zuko just wasn’t rash enough to yell it for all the ignorant fools to hear. Nodding her head he slowly removed his hand, instead placing it on her head. ‘Go ahead of me and make our parents are aware of my arrival.’

‘Yes, brother.’ She said before jerking away from him. Hyunsu started walking along the streets towards her house. She watched the villagers scrambling for their houses at the approaching night. The wall did nothing for safety, the villagers knew that, it was more for reassurance. After all the Fae were superhuman, if they really wanted they could easily scale the walls and attack the people inside. Hyunsu wasn’t stupid she knew the Fae were dangerous, she honestly didn’t want to see one ever in her lifetime. She just wanted to go outside, experience real nature, she wanted to see what an ocean looked like, she wanted to try fishing in a river, and walk through a forest. She honestly just wanted to know  _ what _ fishing was, she had heard the people from the caravans talk of it but she had no idea what they did. All she knew was that it was a way to catch some strange water animal.

But that was all too dangerous. She hated the village, how closed off it was, how old it was. The streets were grass free, after being trampled on so often it had worn to sand, the only interesting part of the village was the small gardens located at the far end by her house. The village only had potatoes, carrots, apples, and herbs growing right by the well. When the vegetables and fruit grew they were rationed between families. No families got herbs, all of the herbs were instantly sent off to the healers of the village, her family.

Hyunsu came from a long line of healers, it was all she knew, but it wasn’t her future. Her brother would take up the mantle of the apothecary, if he survived long enough. Since he became a man he had taken up hunting to try and get as much extra money and food as he could for the family. But hunting was dangerous, leaving the village at all was dangerous, there were no guarantees that anyone would make it back, there were too many predators. They ranged from the bears, poisonous animals, then to the Fae. Even the gate was a danger, if a village did not make it in time the doors were closed and the villager was abandoned outside, just like Kwan. 

Stamping the dust off her feet Hyunsu clutched the brass knob and pushed open the door to her families hut. Instantly the familiar earthy scent of herbs filled her nose, As soon as she stepped into the hut she felt the warmth of the coals smouldering in the fireplace. ‘Mother, Father! Zuko has made it home!’ Pulling off her long boots she put them down at the wooden shoe rack beside the door and pulled on her leather house slippers.

‘That is good news,’ barely looking up from the poultice he was grinding her father continued scraping the herbs with his mortar and pestle. ‘When I finish this poultice you will need to take it to Elder Kim, his joints are acting up again.’

‘Yes, father,’ nodding to him, Hyunsu made her way towards the kitchens where her mother was stringing up herbs to be dried.

‘How long will your brother be?’ Looking up from the herbs her mother continued tying the yarn around the stems with expert precision.

‘Not too long, perhaps only a few minutes,’ nodding in acknowledgement her mother swiftly tied the bunch onto the wood bar hanging in their kitchen, leaving it with all the rest before opening the door to the back yard. ‘Tell him to bring it round the back, if he drags it through the house one more time…’ Trailing off the door slammed behind her, leaving Hyunsu behind with an amused smile.

‘Hyunsu!’

‘Coming father!’ Staring down at the brown rug below her she walked back into the living room where her father was scrapping the poultice into a metal container.

‘You need to take this to Elder Kim, when you get back to the house you may help us with the catch but until then,’ lifting the container he placed it into her hands. ‘Take this to him.’

‘Yes father,’ nodding she smiled at him before walking to the door, switching her slippers for outside shoes before heading out into the humid air. Her parents were specific about what they wore in the house because they needed to be as clean as possible. The healers of the village needed to remain healthy so they could do their job. 

The sun was still setting, there was still a few hours till dark but the scrambling villagers were already all inside their houses. Since they were on the cusp of summer the sun set much later, it was a time of freedom for most villagers because it meant more time outside. That, however, meant nothing because their fear controlled them. 

Kicking up the dust Hyunsu watched it raise in the air, bringing with it a dry dirt scent, before it settled on her boots, leaving a faint sandy brown layer on the bottom. There was no way Hyunsu wanted to deliver the poultice, she didn’t want to see any of the elders. 

‘Hyunsu,’ as soon as Hyunsu heard Sooki’s melodious voice call out to her she smiled and stopped. All negative thoughts left her as she greeted the lone Nymph of the village. Sooki was the Lord’s wife and had been brought years ago to the village by traders who had kidnapped her. Like all of the other Nymph’, Sooki had fought to go home but when the marriage occurred she was trapped in the village, bound by obligation. 

Despite being kidnapped Sooki still had her sweet temperament and was more than willing to talk to anyone who would talk to her. Sadly as she was a Nymph and thus related to the Fae few talked to her and that few could be counted on one hand, her husband, Hyunsu and her family, as well as Elder Lee who was a half Nymph.

‘Good evening Sooki,’ Hyunsu bowed deeply out of respect for the pure soul and friend in front of her. It wasn’t necessary to do so but to her Sooki seemed like a goddess, a queen. She was always full of strength and grace, just how Hyunsu imagined royalty to be. 

‘Good evening, where are you going at this time of night?’ With fluid grace that one would assume only a nymph would have, Sooki walked up to Hyunsu, looking majestic in her simple green dress. As always the only accessories she had were her leather belt, and her long brown braided hair. Sooki enjoyed being surrounded by nature so she would tie plants into her hair because of this Hyunsu loved when the apple tree blossomed, it meant Sooki would tie the blossoms into her hair, surrounding her with a sweet fruity aroma.

‘I have to take the poultice to Elder Kim,’ lifting the metal container Hyunsu winced. Elder Kim was one of the more ignorant and prejudice people in the village. Since his mother was abducted by Fae’s he took it upon himself to profess his hate on all Nymph’s and the Fae, Hyunsu never got along with him even before she met Sooki. After becoming friends with Sooki, Hyunsu had become even more of an annoyance to him than before. Before they met she was a petulant kid, now she was an enemy. 

‘I see,’ pulling her braid over her shoulder, Sooki started playing with the tip of it.

‘You look tired,’ Hyunsu observed, scanning the dark eye bags and pale complexion Sooki was getting. If she were honest, it was the first time she had seen her older friend tired. 

‘I am, it has been too long since I have seen the forest, it drains me.’ Tilting her head to the side, Sooki closed her eyes partially as if reminiscing her past. ‘I have not yet adapted to my surroundings, it is harder than I thought it would be.’

When the Nymphs get brought into a human life style they slowly lose their connection to nature. Nymphs are not immortal but they do live a long time, but only so long as they don’t mate with a human, when a Nymph mates with a human and lives with them, their life span matches that of their spouse. Because of this for the first while they age quickly, until their bodies match the age of the people around them. Sooki called it a blessing, she said she would be lucky to not have to live hundreds of years after her husband died. But Hyunsu only saw it was a curse, to have ones life cut because of someone elses actions sounded horrible and unjust. 

Although Sooki had been in the village for five years she had not started ageing till earlier that year. Soon she would no longer be a risk for the villagers, once a Nymph loses her years she won’t be accepted back into any society of her race, she will be an outcast, and therefore safe to be around. Until then the villagers saw her as dangerous, and volatile, ready to lash out at any second and try to escape the village. They didn’t understand the importance of relationships to the Nymphs. 

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Ah,’ shaking her head Sooki spoke her next words in Nymphean, Hyunsu smiled as soon as she heard Sooki speak Nymphean, Hyunsu knew nothing of the language but she loved hearing Sooki speak it.

The language of the Nymphs was beautiful, it matched the Nymphs perfectly, it was as smooth as the water, vibrant as the land, and distinguishable as the mountains, it was perfect. ‘Do not worry my child, it is not your fault.’ Sooki continued in the common tongue, despite hating being patronised Hyunsu enjoyed being called child by Sooki, it made her feel safe and protected. Sooki was like a grandmother to her, which sounded odd. However Sooki was the age of a grandmother but because she was a Nymph she still looked like a young adult.

‘Will we talk tonight?’ Hyunsu stopped outside of the ornate wooden door of the Elders hall. She bit her lip as she waited for answers. 

‘If you desire to,’ Sooki looked up at the darkening sky, ‘then yes.’

‘I do,’ resting her palm on the cool metal handle Hyunsu bit her lip, watching Sooki with a look of anticipation.

‘Then we shall meet, I will be waiting,’ slowly moving her head down, Sooki smiled at Hyunsu before turning and walking away, her dress billowing after her elegantly.

With a heavy sigh Hyunsu pushed open the door to the Elders hall. As Hyunsu rushed down the entrance way to Elder Kim’s quarters she ignored the intricate designs imbedded in the walls and pillars of the building. Usually Hyunsu would walk slowly, admiring the landscapes of the outside world but now was not the time. Hyunsu lifted her fist to pound on the door, the only thing stopping her was the knowledge of the rant that would come if she did.

Pursing her lips she forced herself to lightly rap on the door. The temptation ran deep in her to be as loud as she could even after knocking on the door. She was well aware of how much Elder Kim hated loud noises and wished for once she could rebel.  

‘Who is it?’ Within moments Elder Kim called out, his wheezing voice audible through the thick oak doors.

‘Hyunsu, the daughter of Nahm the healer, I have your poultice.’ The door slowly opened to reveal Elder Kim’s hunched frame and a staggering scent of incense.

‘Good, good,’ reaching out his wrinkled hand he swiped the container out of Hyunsu’s hand before slamming the door shut. Coughing, Hyunsu waved her hand infront of her face almost choking on the heavy scent of incense.

‘You’re welcome,’ she wheezed out before rubbing her throat, trying to ease the burning left behind by the strong smell of his room. As always her good deeds went unnoticed, sometimes she didn’t even know why she tried so hard to appease the villagers.

Just as the Fae fell deeper into their bitterness the villagers fell deeper into their depression. Nobody was happy these days, all she ever saw was fear. Dispelling her dark thoughts she marched out of the Elders halls and headed home planning on gutting the buck as fast as possible so that she could go and see Sooki. Usually she would have free time in the evening, her brother usually went hunting and brought back his catch at the latest by six. However, today he had decided to be ambitious, bringing back two rabbits before twelve and barely making it through the gates at eight with a young buck.

‘Hyunsu! Get over here!’ Zuko called out from the back yard, he was waving his blood covered arms in the air, still brandishing his hunting knife.

‘Keep your knife down,’ Hyunsu’s mother scolded, her face was scrunched up with anxiety as she fanned her weathered face. Her constant companion was already making itself known, her nerves were what distinguished her from the other women of the village.

Hyunsu’s mother was a plump small dramatic woman, her father constantly teased her saying he had married not her, but her nerves, and if she should ever decide to show herself he would be most glad. Her parents were the perfect foils of each other, while she loved conversing with the villagers he preferred being home working and writing in his journal about different uses of herbs.

‘I’m going to go talk to Sooki tonight,’ Hyunsu announced as she hopped the waist high fence to her backyard. As one of the few distinguishable families of the village they were one of the only families to actually have a backyard, it was also one of the closest yards to the herbs so if any emergency would come up they could easily grab any extra herbs they needed.

‘You can leave now then, you skinned and gutted both rabbits today, we can do the rest on our own,’ Hyunsu’s father waved his slender hand dismissively. Despite being a healer Hyunsu’s father, Joonho, was more of a musician by body, he had the slender hands of a pianist, and the strict far off look of one as well. Once a retired pianist had come with the caravans and he had the most delicate and long fingers she had ever seen, she had never once heard the music made by him but he had told her stories of concerts in the big cities and told her that all good pianists had hands like his.

‘What do you mean she can leave!’ Hyunsu’s mother’s voice raised into a shriek as she planted her hands on her hips, looking every bit the part of a scolding wife. ‘We should be doing this as a family!’

‘We didn’t do the rabbits as a family, now did we? Don’t go making new rules just because you don’t want to work,’ shaking his head her father plunged his hand into the buck, starting to pull out the intestines. Huffing her mother shook her head, not looking at Hyunsu as she continued working on the buck.

‘Thank you Papa!’ Vaulting herself over the fence again Hyunsu ran to her meeting place with Sooki, it was the roof on top of the barn. Since the manor was in the centre of the village it was impractical to talk on, they couldn’t see if anybody was coming. Instead they opted for the barn because it was right up against the wall, allowing them to see anybody who was approaching, as well as some of their talking was concealed by the sounds of the animals below them.

‘Hello Ae,’ greeting the pig at the stall she used as a ladder she smiled listening to the tired pig snort in greeting then rolled in the dirt. ‘Keep good guard for us today, okay?’ Waving to the pig she planted her hands onto the top of the stalls top, pushing herself up then reaching up to the roof, grunting as she forced herself to the top. Breathing out heavily she slowly walked to the top of the roof, looking over the tall wall. She could faintly make out the forest in the background, it’s black silhouette pronounced in front of the night sky.

‘Hyunsu?’ Hearing a voice faintly over the wall Hyunsu stood on her tip toes and leaned over seeing a faint dark form at the bottom. She felt panic freeze her as she stared wide eyed down at the body. Was this a Fae, come to trick her and lead her to her doom? ‘Hyunsu! It’s me, Kwan!’ Breathing out a sigh of relief Hyunsu nodded, seeing the distinguishable afro of Kwan’s hair through the darkness.

‘Kwan! Are you alright?’ It felt ridiculous to her to ask when he was yelling as he was, but she couldn’t see him, she worried that the darkness could have been hiding cuts and bruises. 

‘Yes, I’m fine! Nothing’s happened! I’m starting to think the Fae are just horror stories,’ he laughed, trying to hide the undertone of fear in his voice.

‘Keep quiet, Kwan, they’ll hear you if you’re too loud,’ Hyunsu scolded, the lessons running through her mind. If you ever get trapped outside of the wall you’re meant to stay quiet and not light any fires so that they don’t know that you’re outside. Only one person had ever survived being outside the walls for a night, and that was what he did, that man had also ended up becoming the Lord of the village. He was also Sooki’s husband. 

‘Please, just help me in!’ He begged the faint sound of him slapping his palms against the stone base of the walls echoed up.

‘You know I can’t, the gate is the only way in and it’s shut,’ she gasped and looked towards the forest, thinking she saw someone walking out. Narrowing her eyes and leaning forwards she scanned the border of the forest looking to see if there was any movement.

‘Do you see anything?’ His panicked voice cut through the dark as his slapping grew more frantic.

‘No,’ leaning farther forwards she scanned the darkness, not seeing anything. ‘I thought I saw something but there’s nothing.’ She could hear his sigh of relief before silence enveloped them. As much as she wanted to speak to him and try to reassure him she still had a bad feeling. Staring out into the darkness again she found no signs of movement. Within moments a torch lit up not ten meters from the walls.

‘Help me! Hyunsu! Help me! Help me!’ He shrieked as he pounded on the wall, his afro bobbing with his frantic movements.

‘I-’ Hyunsu froze as she heard the enchanting voices of Nymphean song echo through the night. Almost as if put through a spell Kwan stopped pounding, going silent as the singing rose. Hyunsu shivered, feeling uncomfortable as she listening to the voices singing, where Sooki made her feel calm and happy this song being sung sent shivers down her spine. It left her feeling dirty and hurt.

‘Can you hear them, Hyunsu? I think we were wrong about them, don’t they sound so welcoming?’ His voice was dreamy and far off as she watched his dark form take a step towards the light. She couldn’t fathom how he felt it welcoming to her it was like the song was screaming for her to leave, run away and not look back, to never approach the wall again.

‘Kwan! Kwan! Stop! Don’t go!’ Slamming her hands on the rock top of the wall she watched in horror as he ignored her continuing towards the singing. ‘Kwan!’ As she watched him advance towards the light she looked towards it, jolting in shock as she saw feline eyes staring back at her from the darkness. ‘Kwan!’ She shrieked witnessing Kwan step into the halo of light, only to see his body go stiff and hearing him scream before the light went out sending the field into darkness. ‘Kwan! Kwan!’ Feeling a hand clamp on her mouth silencing her she struggled violently.

‘Hush, child,’ Hyunsu froze hearing Sooki’s calm voice from behind her. ‘There is nothing that can be done, he is already long gone. The Fae are not kind to their prey, we can only hope they give him a painless death.’

‘Death?’ Hyunsu echoed from behind Sooki’s palm.

‘Yes, the Fae have no need for mates, they have their own folk, the only thing left for them to do with their prey is to play games. And that’s where we must hope that they extend their grace.’

‘Sooki,’ spinning around, Hyunsu wrapped her arms around the Nymphs waist, hugging her tightly as she breathed in the familiar scent of bark and dirt.

‘I know child, I know,’ Sooki hummed softly as she ran her fingers through Hyunsu’s hair.

‘Will they come for you too?’ Hyunsu questioned her voice soft and meek as if fighting against the loud voice of the night.

‘No, they will not, they already see me as an outcast, they wouldn’t come for me.’ Sooki’s voice was low and mournful as she spoke. Despite enjoying Hyunsu’s company and seeing the daughter as a part of her family Sooki longed for home and would have been willing to be accepted by the Fae had she not already been mated to the Lord of the village. Despite the violence of the Fae, they still resembled home to her. 

If Nymph’s were to be described with just a few words it would be loyal and forgiving, which is why the Fae were such a shock. The Fae had enough anger and bitterness that they lost their capability for forgiveness, instead they fell to grudges and nasty tricks. Hyunsu froze as she heard Sooki hiss out an angry word in Nymphean.

‘Don’t look back, child,’ she urged as her arms encompassed Hyunsu, hugging her against her firmly. She spat out more words, her tone dark before Hyunsu felt her grip loosen, instead she softly rubbed circles into Hyunsu’s back as if to instil her with comfort, and rub the fear out of Hyunsu’s terrified form. ‘It’s okay now child, we’re safe.’

‘What happened?’ Hyunsu’s voice shook as she kept her gaze on Sooki, refusing to fall into the temptation of looking behind her.

‘Did you see one of the Fae, child?’

‘I only saw eyes,’ she whispered still shaking despite the warm temperature left behind by the sun. She felt Sooki grip her forearm, pulling towards the edge of the roof.

‘Come, it is not safe to be outside.’

‘Am I going to be okay?’ Hyunsu questioned timidly, her whole demeanour reduced to that of a child’s from fear.

‘Of course you will child,’ following Sooki, Hyunsu shakily got down from the roof letting Sooki guide her home. When they arrived at the door Sooki looked around the village before resting her hand on Hyunsu’s shoulder. ‘Be careful to not see a Fae, you were lucky, you didn't see much but some are not so lucky. Go sleep, you will remain safe tonight.’ Opening the door for her Sooki ushered her in. As soon as the door closed behind Hyunsu, Sooki narrowed her eyes at the wall, watching as a shadow jumped off the edge of the wall towards the forest. ‘Remain safe, child, the Fae are rarely so forgiving.’ Casting a final gaze towards the Nahm’s door she waited till she heard the click of the lock before she left heading back to the manor she lived in.


	2. Chapter 2

Hyunsu woke up from the previous night in a daze, her mother constantly scolded her for not being attentive, she almost ruined multiple herbs when she prepared some tonics to put away in storage. Every time she thought back to the night before she would see the haunting eyes staring at her then she would remember the harsh words Sooki was yelling into the night and a jolt of fear would run up her spine as she imagined what could have happened that she didn’t see. Was one of the Fae going to attack her? Had one climbed into the village? Would she have died if Sooki wasn’t there that night? ‘Stop daydreaming and do your work!’ Jolting out of her thoughts Hyunsu cast a tentative gaze towards her mother before looking back down at the mortar, pounding the pestle into it as she ground up the herbs.

 ‘Open the door!’ Hyunsu gasped and clutched her chest in shock hearing someone call out as they started pounding at the door. Hyunsu remained oblivious to her mothers skeptical look in her direction before her mother made her way to the door. ‘Open the door! My boy needs your help! He needs your help!’ As Hyunsu’s mother opened the door, Mrs. Lee ran in carrying Kwan’s limp body. 

 ‘Close the door behind you,’ Hyunsu’s mother hissed as she took Kwan from Mrs. Lee, laying him down on the kitchen table. ‘Hyunsu, get your father immediately.’ 

 ‘Y-Yes, mother,’ nodding she bowed in Mrs. Lee’s direction before running outside sighing in relief as she saw her father crouching down by one of the growing herbs her brother had recovered from the outside world earlier that week, documenting it. ‘Father! It’s urgent, Kwan, he’s in the house,’ Hyunsu watched as her father jolted up, running inside immediately. Having seen Kwan get abducted by the Fae she doubted he was alive, and if he was she feared for his sanity. From the stories she heard and Sooki’s pleads for grace she didn’t want to imagine what he could have gone through.

 ‘Hyunsu! Where did you go! Get me some poultice!’ Hyunsu’s mother shrieked from inside, biting her lip hesitantly, Hyunsu pushed the sleeves of her dress up as she picked up a container of poultice, as well as three sets of aprons. Walking into the room she looked at Kwan, gasping in shock, Hyunsu dropped everything she was carrying the container dropped with a thunk on the wooden floor. Kwan’s body was cut up and bleeding everywhere, what looked like words were carved into his forehead and right below where his eyes should have been were empty bloody sockets, the holes were raw and torn almost as if someone had ripped his eyes out with their own hands. Where his hair was were red swollen tears and a bare scalp painted with blood. ‘Don’t just stand there! Get moving!’ 

 ‘I-I,’ backing away Hyunsu raised her hands in the air trying to separate herself from the image before her. 

 ‘Hyunsu!’ Her mother shrieked as she pressed a cloth to one of the large gouges on his side, the blood was already soaking through turning the brown cloth to red. 

 ‘I can’t!’ With shaking limbs Hyunsu stumbled out of the house almost collapsing on the ground. ‘Kwan, Kwan, I’m sorry,’ burying her head in her hands her body shook, straining her muscles with strong infrequent seizing. ‘Kwan.’ She could hear the pained shrieks of his mother and she could guess why, he was being proclaimed dead, the next victim of the Fae all because he couldn’t get through the doors in time.

 Kwan was the only hunter of the family, the only child, Mrs. Lee’s husband was an invalid and she had no position, she was just a villager, she didn’t own a shop, she wasn’t a healer, she wasn’t the Lady of the village all she had was her sons hunts, and now she didn’t even have that. Hyunsu dropped onto her back staring up into the sky, her eyes narrowing at the dark grey clouds hanging above her head. It looked like it was going to rain, the weather was mourning Kwan’s loss too it seemed. 

 ‘Hyunsu! Get up off the ground and get in here,’ Hyunsu’s mother gripped her arm tightly, pulling her up off the ground and towards the house. Still in a daze Hyunsu tripped over the small rocks, barely noticing the loud chatter filling the village. 

 ‘He’s dead.’ 

 Sighing heavily her mother smacked her upside the head, ‘stop being so dramatic, Kwan is alive. Now get in there and start helping us, he won’t be alive for long if you keep dilly dallying. I swear, the theatrics of this one gets me every time,’ her mother muttered walking to the wall of medicine they had stacked against the wall. If Hyunsu wasn’t in shock she would have retorted that her mother was being silly, that her mother was the most dramatic one of the family. However Hyunsu was in shock and the only thing in her mind was the guilt that numbed her, leaving her thoughts frozen and incapable of developing. 

 ‘Hyunsu!’ Hyunsu’s fathers sharp voice snapped her out of her daze causing her to run over to him out of habit. ‘Help me get the herbs on his eyes and wrap it,’ nodding she picked up the herbs resting in the bowl before holding them over his eye sockets. She felt a shudder shake her body as she stared into the empty sockets. She was used to seeing death and gore many people died of illness and many more got hurt while working but there was something different about seeing wounds caused intentionally. ‘Hyunsu!’ 

 ‘Yes, father,’ placing the herbs into his sockets she heard a pained moan escape from his bloody lips. Pursing her lips she closed her eyes, allowing herself to detach from her emotions so she could work properly. Opening her eyes she placed herbs into the other socket then folded the stiff cloth into squares, placing it over his eyes before she wrapped the eyes with another cloth so it would stay clean and not get infected. 

 ‘Get him some water,’ waving her off Hyunsu went to the kitchen taking one of their clay cups off of the shelves. Gripping the cloth cover she pulled it off of the wooden bucket before dipping the cup into the water, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation of water running down her hand before covering the bucket up again and rushing over to the table. ‘Let him drink some, it’ll do while your mother makes the tea.’ Placing her hand to his head she ignored the lack of hair, concentrating on softly lifting his head up and placing the cup to his lips so he would drink. Tipping the cup she watched the water pool up on his lips, some of it escaping and cascading down his chin. 

 ‘He’s not drinking,’ pinching his nose so he would open his mouth she watched him choke on the water that she poured in before he started to drink it, accepting the cool relief.                                                                                                           

 ‘Get Sooki, I want to know exactly what they wrote on him,’ her father demanded, his attention focused on the leg wound he was wrapping. 

 ‘Yes, father,’ bowing she wiped her hands with a damp cloth cleaning the leftover herbs and blood off. ‘I will return soon,’ walking outside she clutched her chest with her hand, feeling her head spin as the emotions she was blocking came rushing back, she hadn’t even noticed that she didn’t change out of her house slippers as she looked for the Nymph. ‘Sooki,’ speeding up towards the manor she felt as if there was something in the shadows watching her. ‘Sooki!’ Kicking up dirt in her haste she ignored the irritated looks of the villagers, ‘Sooki!’ 

 Hyunsu almost cried out in relief as she saw Sooki step out of the manor, ‘child? What’s wrong?’ 

 ‘Sooki,’ without a thought to the people watching Hyunsu crashed into the Nymph hugging her tightly. ‘It’s Kwan.’ 

 ‘Where,’ detaching herself from Sooki, Hyunsu relaxed already feeling comfort from the grandmotherly presence of her friend. 

 ‘My house,’ gripping Sooki’s hand Hyunsu pulled her towards her home, ‘he’s alive.’ Pulling open the door to her hut she guided Sooki to the limp body of the teenage boy. 

 Muttering in her mother tongue Sooki shook her head, her complexion fading more from the pale color it was before. ‘What has happened to him,’ walking slowly towards the boy she focused on the markings on the forehead. 

 ‘Get her out!’ Mrs. Lee shrieked, seeing the Nymph upon her entrance from the kitchen. ‘Get that monster out of here! She’s one of them! She’s the reason why my son is like this! Get it out! Get it out!’ 

 ‘Mrs. Lee!’ Sighing in annoyance Hyunsu’s father stepped towards her trying to guide the frantic mother out of the room. 

 ‘She’s incurred their wrath upon us! We’re all going to die!’ Mrs. Lee’s face went red as she screamed, without warning she stumbled as her eyes fluttered. 

 ‘Mrs. Lee, you need to calm down,’ He reached out for her as she fainted, catching her in his arms. Tsking he dragged her to the couch and laid her down. ‘Emotional witch, it’s a wonder she hasn’t fainted sooner from her temper tantrums.’ Clapping his hands together as if washing himself of her nonsense he focused on Sooki, ‘so is that writing?’ 

 ‘Yes,’ Sooki glided her fingers over Kwan’s forehead before casting a hesitant look to Hyunsu.

 ‘It’s because of me, isn’t it, if I hadn’t been there he would have died,’ Hyunsu pulled at the strings on her dress, avoiding looking at Sooki. 

 ‘You were there?’ Her father rubbed his temples while heaving a heavy sigh, ‘of course you were. You have my luck.’ 

 ‘I didn’t see anything, I swear! I just saw,’ Hyunsu looked at the cream cloth wrapped around Kwan’s head. ‘I just saw someone’s eyes. But he left!’ 

 ‘He?’ Her father’s voice came out gruff as he scanned the room, checking to make sure nobody was listening. Quietly walking over to Mrs. Lee he made sure she was still asleep before taking Sooki and Hyunsu into his room closing the door behind him. ‘How do you know it was a him.’ 

‘I don’t,’ Hyunsu shuffled nervously, ruffling the skirt of her dress. ‘I’m just assuming, it looked like a mans eyes, that’s all. But Sooki saved me!’ 

 ‘Were you there the whole time?’ His analyzing gaze moved to Sooki who shook her head, unfazed by his cold facade. 

 ‘No, I came after the torch went out.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu, leave,’ Hyunsu gaped hearing her fathers demand. 

 ‘What? But, I-’ 

 ‘Leave, let Sooki and I talk,’ nodding hesitantly she backed towards the door before leaving the room. Immediately she slipped into the room she shared with her brother, laying on her bed that was right beside her parents room. As a child she had discovered a spot in the wall that she could use for listening and was determined to make use of it, it made no sense for her to be left out. ‘What’s going to happen to her?’ 

 ‘I don’t know,’ the weariness in Sooki’s voice transversed through the wood panelling easily. ‘The markings on the boys forehead, it said eyes, they took his eyes to show that they knew what she had seen.’ 

 ‘I gathered that much. Will she be safe though?’ 

 ‘As long as she doesn’t leave the village she will be safe. The Fae may be bitter but they still have guidelines. They reap what was sown, they don’t create new conflicts.’ 

 ‘You’re saying she’s the next victim?’ 

 ‘No, I’m saying she’s just like any young girl in the village, she must never leave.’ 

 ‘Hyoheon is asking for her hand in marriage, I’m considering accepting.’ Hyunsu covered her mouth holding back a gasp of disbelief. If there was one thing she felt, it was betrayed. Her parents knew full well what she thought of him, yet they went about behind her back, arranging her with the man she hates.

 ‘You know how she feels about him.’ 

 ‘He would be the most capable of keeping her safe, you know his family is well off, made of the best fighters.’ She could hear her fathers conflicted feelings through his hesitance. 

 ‘Are you willing to risk her happiness for her safety?’ 

 ‘I don’t want to, knowing her mother she’s already gone to meet the parents to say she accepts. There is nothing left to do but accept that it’s the only way to keep her safe. Is there anything you can do at all?’ 

 ‘There is nothing I can do except prevent them from killing her, but that can be a fate worse than any other.’ Hyunsu rolled away from the wall, onto her brothers bed. Staring up at the ceiling she breathed out slowly. 

‘Mother’s going to accept,’ pushing herself up she quietly walked out of her room and to the main door of the house, changing into her boots before leaving the house. ‘I guess I just have to stop her.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu! Where are you going?’ Hyunsu breathed out a sigh of relief seeing her childhood friend approaching her. 

 ‘Aeko,’ scanning their surroundings she grabbed Aeko’s wrist pulling her to the gardens so they could speak privately. ‘You have to help me.’ 

 ‘What’s wrong?’ Aeko frowned, leaning down to match her height better Aeko had always been taller than Hyunsu and was constantly thought of as the better child. Where Hyunsu read all the time and was reluctant to do chores Aeko did what she was told immediately. Where Hyunsu was rash and spoke too quickly Aeko was slow to speak and was a master speaker. Where Aeko would sew perfect clothes, and even enjoyed embroidery Hyunsu refused to. The most Hyunsu would ever do would be to knit a scarf, she could do the rest but she hated it, her pricked fingers were proof of it. 

 ‘My father, he’s planning on giving my hand in marriage to Hyoseon.’ Aeko’s expressions changed immediately from worry to annoyance. 

 ‘You should consider yourself lucky, he’s the most well off bachelor here.’ 

 ‘I don’t want to marry him, you know that!’ 

 Tossing her braid behind her back Aeko’s stance adjusted into an offensive one, ‘so what’s your plan then?’ 

 ‘I don’t know, I just, I need to stop this from happening.’ 

 ‘Well you could just run away,’ Hyunsu froze staring at Aeko in disbelief. 

 ‘You’re joking.’ 

 ‘No,’ Aeko looked Hyunsu in the eyes, her eyes were completely serious as she spoke up again, ‘you could just run away.’ 

 ‘I’m not going to run away, I’m not leaving the village,’ Hyunsu crossed her arms as she shook her head. ‘That’s too dangerous.’ 

 ‘Then I guess you’re going to marry him,’ Aeko nodded her head in the direction of the center of the village. Turning around Hyunsu watched her mother’s giddy spring as she made her way to their hut, ‘it looks like they already made it official.’ 

 ‘What is life,’ Hyunsu ran her fingers through her hair, clutching at the black thick strands. ‘I mean it’s just one thing after another! I don’t want this! I don’t want any of this!’ 

 ‘What else happened?’ Aeko’s eyebrows furrowed in worry as she crossed her arms. 

 ‘Kwan, haven’t you seen him by now?’ 

 Nodding Aeko tsked, before shrugging, ‘it is what he deserves for missing the gate. He knows the rules.’ Already used to Aeko’s dependency on the rules Hyunsu resorted on only nodding her head. 

 ‘So this is where my wife is hiding,’ Hyunsu froze feeling a hand rest on her shoulder. 

 ‘Let me go Hyoheon,’ shaking her shoulder to get him to let go she backed away from him and glared. 

 Laughing he smiled at her, ‘the engagement ceremony is going to be tomorrow when the caravans come. I’m looking forward to it,’ winking at her he walked off quickly sensing that it wasn’t best to poke the sleeping bear all too much. 

 ‘All he wants to do is rub it in my face that I have no choice in the matter.’ Hyunsu hissed, glaring at his retreating frame. 

 ‘That’s not a bad thing,’ Aeko rolled her eyes looking fed up with Hyunsu. ‘There are no chances for love in this village and there are no chances of leaving so your only option is to take your wealth and live with it. And that is not a bad thing, I would do anything to be his wife.’ 

 ‘Then take him, I would rather die single then marry that boy.’ Looking towards her hut she noticed her mother waving at her, signalling for her to come home. ‘I have to go,’ leaving Aeko without a goodbye Hyunsu went to her house, not thinking twice of her ill treatment towards her long-time friend. 

 ‘Your father and Sooki are waiting for you in the living room, so hurry.’ Rushing Hyunsu inside the house her mother quickly shut and locked the door behind them. Scanning the room Hyunsu noticed the empty couch and table the Lee’s were taking up earlier that day. 

 ‘They left already?’ 

 ‘Yes now sit down, okay,’ guiding her to the couch Sooki and Hyunsu’s father walked in both looking pensive and deep in thought. ‘So? Are we doing this then?’ 

 ‘Yes,’ Sooki cast Hyunsu’s mother an annoyed look before patting down her dress. ‘Hyunsu, your parents are worried about you, so they want me to try and help you.’ Hyunsu nodded remaining quiet as she thought back to what she heard Sooki and her father talking about. Were they going to make it so that she couldn’t be killed by the Fae? How would that even work? ‘You were listening to our conversation, weren’t you?’ Hyunsu’s eyes widened before she looked down at the ground avoiding the looks of the adults in the room. 

‘Hyunsu! I taught you better!’ Her mother scolded, speaking up from behind her, ‘I do not know how I raised a child such as this.’ 

 ‘That is not the matter we are addressing,’ Sooki interrupted as Hyunsu’s father placed a wrapped cloth in her hands. Looking at her father confused, Hyunsu opened the cloth to reveal a beautiful necklace. The necklace had a beautiful silver chain and connected to it was a rock like pendant. Hyunsu ran her fingers around the pendant, the outside of the pendant was a smooth dark grey river rock, but on the front what looked like silver, emerald and gold designs were imbedded into the rock. ‘Hyunsu, having this necklace will protect you, you must always wear it, no exception.’

 ‘I’m just supposed to wear it? That’s it?’ Hyunsu looked up from the necklace, watching curiously at the strange ways her parents were acting. Her mother was closed off, instead of being her usual energetic and snarky self she was looking around the room avoiding Hyunsu’s gaze and her father was staring at the planks below his chair. 

 ‘Yes,’ her mother sighed before frowning at Hyunsu, ‘well what are you waiting for! Put it on!’ Waving her hands at Hyunsu, her daughter nodded and quickly put it on. Almost as if they were waiting for something to happen her parents immediately relaxed, the tension in the room leaving. 

 ‘Is this a gift for my marriage?’ Hyunsu pursed her lips and looked at her parents, if she heard Hyoheon made this for her she would surely throw it out, despite being told to hold onto it. 

 ‘No,’ her mother shook her head sending her daughter a disapproving look. Hyunsu frowned at the silence in the room, by now her father would have argued against her marrying Hyoheon. She knew that he was considering it but she also knew he still had some reservations about the whole thing, yet he was mute. 

 ‘I don’t have to marry him, I could remain single,’ Hyunsu muttered, slouching under the fiery gaze of her mother. 

 ‘It will do you well to marry him, the family is well off, they are the second highest in wealth in our village.’ 

 ‘We are well off as well, she could easily live off of her brother.’ Joonho spoke up half heartedly, as if not supporting his argument. 

 ‘I will not have my daughter living as a spinster when she can just as easily be the wife of a rich young man. It is not like he’s years older than her either, some of the girls her age might end up marrying men twice their age!’ 

 ‘I don’t want to marry him mother.’ 

 ‘Like your father said it is too late to back out, besides he will be good for you.’ Waving her hand in the air aimlessly Hyunsu’s mother stood up wandering off. 

 ‘I am not doing it,’ Hyunsu looked at her father determined to remain single. 

 ‘Yes you will, you know how your mother is. In the old days you may have been married off to some man far away, you can be glad now that you will remain close.’ 

 ‘But at least there would have been a chance of me liking the man, I loath Hyoseon!’ Her father rubbed his eyes, looking weary as he stared back at her. 

 ‘If only the days would have gone by slower, we would not be left with this future.’ Standing up he looked towards the door. 

 ‘This can’t be the only option.’ 

 ‘It’s the only one I will allow,’ he remarked before leaving Hyunsu alone in the room, to wallow in her self pity. 

 

 Hyunsu sat in her bed listening to the arguing in the living room, she could hear the yelling clearly from her room, she wouldn’t have been surprised if she had found out that everyone in the village could hear Zuko’s enraged yelling or her mother’s frantic shrieking. Sighing in annoyance she looked at the window then her door before shrugging, making up her mind. She found no point in remaining in the house when all that was happening was arguing. 

 Zuko had started yelling as soon as he found out about the marriage arrangements. There really was no way around them, a betrothal ceremony was just as good as marriage. Once she got passed the ring she would no longer be single, she would spend a year at her parents house while he amassed enough fortune to impress her parents then on the wedding day after he had proved himself capable of caring for her, her family would give the dowry to him along with her. Either way she would be lost to her family, she would no longer be a part of that family, she would be cut off. 

 Pulling up the latch Hyunsu pushed open the window and crawled through it. She didn’t care that she was barefoot, she just wanted to get away from the yelling. Breathing out slowly she pushed the window back to its original place went away from the house towards her sanctuary, the well by the garden. ‘Hyunsu!’ 

 Turning to look behind her Hyunsu smiled immediately when she saw Aeko walking towards her, ‘Aeko!’

 ‘How is your brother taking the news?’ 

 ‘Not well, he is yelling up a storm,’ folding her arms over her chest Hyunsu followed Aeko as she walked through the village. 

 ‘Hyoseon is as well, he’s bought rounds of soju for every man in the tavern,’ despite having a small village Hyunsu’s village also had a tavern. Before the humans started getting attacked the village was one of the main stops for travellers. Nowadays the only visitors they received were the rare brave gypsies that brought their caravans in to sell trinkets and rare merchandise. Hyunsu’s family usually got their new herbs from these caravans, nobody dared go into the forest to find their own. ‘Do you think we could ever sneak out of the village?’ Aeko questioned as the two teenage girls stopped by the large gaping gates of the village. 

 ‘No.’ 

 ‘Don’t you want to?’ Aeko smiled, oblivious to the fear that shot through Hyunsu. 

 ‘No, it’s dangerous.’ Hyunsu could almost hear the haunting singing of the Fae, she could see the kidnapping Kwan all over again in her minds eyes just as disturbing as when she had first witnessed it.

 ‘Oh stop, there are no elders around right now, there’s nobody to hear what we say, everyone is celebrating in the tavern.’ Hyunsu frowned scanning the entrance way, there really were no villagers. 

 ‘The gates should be closed then, they should be never be open when nobodies around.’ 

 Aeko laughed and shook her head, ‘don’t worry about it, Minsik gave me the reigns. Come on,’ Aeko pulled Hyunsu towards the gate ignoring the look of panic that flashed across her shorter friends face. 

 ‘What are you doing!’ Aeko was always predictable for Hyunsu, if she mentioned marriage then Aeko though it was loveless, if she mentioned money then Aeko said it was necessary, if she mentioned exploring Aeko said absolutely not so the fact that she was the one that wanted to leave was shocking and unpredictable. 

 ‘Don’t worry, we aren’t going far, we’re just going to stand at the edge, we are not even going to completely leave the village. We’re just going to tease the line, alright? Consider it a last chance to do something exciting before you get married off. We all know that you’re going to be an exception to the year rule, Hyoseon can inherit his fathers smithy at whatever time he chooses.’ 

 ‘We shouldn’t be doing this Aeko,’ Hyunsu stopped with Aeko at the edge of the village wall playing with the ribbon from her apron that rested at her waist. 

 ‘Look, it’s fine, besides we all know that Fae are active the most at night, not at day.’ 

 ‘We are supposed to stay in the village for a reason,’ Hyunsu stared out at the forest borderlines in the distance with fearful eyes, anticipating all the danger that could occur if they left. 

 ‘There are no Fae of the  meadow,  we have nothing to worry about. They all hang out in the creepy forest over there,’ Aeko scowled at the forest in distaste, Aeko hated nature and was more than happy to remain in the village. ‘It’s not like the Fae are dangerous, I bet they are all pansies.’ 

 ‘Did you see Kwan?’ Hyunsu balked at Aeko’s insensitive comment, not able to fathom how her friend was so callous. ‘That’s not something a pansy would do.’ 

 ‘Come on, it’s your last night single, we need to at least something risky,’ Hyunsu jumped in surprise as Aeko grabbed her wrist pulling her out towards the large meadow resting between the village and the forest. 

 ‘Aeko! What are you doing!?’ Hyunsu frowned as she watched Aeko pull her, Aeko was always all for the rules so she couldn’t understand why she was suddenly so vehemently for leaving the village. 

 ‘We’re going to have some fun! What are the chances we’re going to be outside again? It’s still a long while until the sun sets.’ 

 ‘That doesn’t mean it’s safe,’ Hyunsu fought against Aeko’s tight grip, yelping when she tripped on a hole. Aeko laughed and held her hand out to Hyunsu to help her up. 

 ‘Alright, alright, you big baby, we’ll go back, do you want to race?’ Grinning Hyunsu nodded grabbing Aeko’s hand. 

 ‘Thank you,’ while she was standing up Hyunsu faked a pained wince. 

 ‘Oh no,’ Aeko’s eyes went wide as she stared down at Hyunsu’s ankle. ‘Are you okay?’

 ‘I think I sprained my ankle!’ While Aeko was fussing over her Hyunsu suddenly charged towards the gate. 

 ‘Yah! You little trickster! Get back here!’ Aeko screeched from behind Hyunsu. Looking over her shoulder at Aeko, Hyunsu grinned at her, her smile dropping when she saw a black form behind Aeko. 

 ‘Aeko! Stop running!’ 

 ‘What you want me to lose?’ She yelled back continuing to run. 

 ‘No! It’s a bear!’ Bear!’ Aeko spun around before charging faster towards the village, bumping into Hyunsu and knocking her over. Aeko made it through the gates as Hyunsu pushed herself up, wincing in pain, in her haste Aeko had stomped on her ankle. ‘Gods above, how am I supposed to get out of this,’ Hyunsu pushed herself up looking towards the gates as they started shutting, Aeko was locking her out. Standing straight up Hyunsu watched the bear slowly move towards her.

 The rules were that if any Fae or dangerous wild animals were spotted by the village the gates had to close, it was far too easy for it to get in and wreak havoc, but it was hard for Hyunsu to imagine that her friend would just leave her outside.

 ‘I’m going to get help!’ Aeko screamed from behind Hyunsu before the bear snorted, taking notice of the lone girl. 

 ‘Leave! Go!’ Hyunsu waved her arms frantically in the air trying to not land on her slightly hurt ankle, it would stop hurting soon, she just had to be careful to not make it worse. She ran through the instructions her brother told her, try and look as big as possible, yell, wave your arms, jump, but don’t look it in the eyes. ‘Leave me alone!’ She yelled at it, panicking when she saw it coming closer, starting to charge.

  ‘Stop!’ She held her hands out in front of her panicking as she saw it running at her, its claws ripping up chunks of grass with each step. ‘I said stop!’ She shrieked unable to run. Within seconds the bear could have ripped her to shreds, instead it stopped centimeters away from her, it’s hot putrid breath filling her nose with it’s rotten scent. The bear went on its back legs, throwing its head into the air as it let out a loud roar. ‘I said go! Go!’ She watched in terror as the bear slowly lowered itself onto all four legs growling at her before stalking away slowly. As soon as the bear was far enough away Hyunsu collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily as the adrenaline left her body leaving her drained. 

 ‘Don’t just sit there!’ Aeko shrieked from the top of the wall. 

 ‘One second,’ Hyunsu breathed out slowly before pushing herself off the ground, making her way to the gate as fast as she could with a hurt ankle. 

 ‘You were the one being bratty about leaving the village, and look at you taking your own sweet time.’ The gate slowly lowered as Hyunsu approached. 

 ‘You’re the one that stomped on  my  ankle,’ Hyunsu frowned as the gate pulled to a stop not even half way down. ‘Aeko? Aeko?’ Without warning Mrs. Lee appeared at the top of the gate, her tear stained cheeks indented with a smug grin. 

 ‘I know it is your fault my boy is like this, he had to stay out all night because of you now you have to, let’s see how long you last!’ 

 ‘Mrs. Lee!’ Hyunsu watched in horror as the gate got pulled up. ‘I didn’t do anything!’ 

 ‘You could have helped him! But you left him out to die!’ Mrs. Lee shrieked, throwing a piece of wood at Hyunsu. Dodging it Hyunsu looked at the wood, her eyes widening when she recognized it, the lever for the gate. ‘Fae! Fae! Do you see! Someone’s locked out of the village! She’ll be out all night!’ Hyunsu looked back at the forest, a shiver running down her spine at the dark shadows beneath the treeline. Hyunsu spun back to look at Mrs. Lee hearing her cackle before she disappeared from view leaving Hyunsu alone in the field. 

 Hyunsu chewed on her lip nervously looking up at the wall hoping that somebody would appear, telling her that that wasn’t the real lever and that they could easily open the gate for her, but there was nothing. Hyunsu froze in her spot hearing the faint sound of thumping coming closer. Turning around to look she panicked seeing the bear running towards her again. 

 ‘Why are you doing this now!’ Hyunsu clenched her fists and glared at the bear, prepared to yell at it again. The bear was slower than the previous time, the closer it got to her she realised that it had a pitch black arrow shaft embedded in it’s leg. It was angry and this time she knew yelling at it wouldn’t scare it away. Gulping she reached down and grabbed the lever, ‘stay away!’ Swiping it in the air she watched the bear bare its teeth in a ferocious growl. Breathing out she backed away from the oncoming bear brandishing the lever she smacked its head as soon as it got close enough, squeaking in surprise when it bit down on the lever making it fall as splinters to the ground.

  Hyunsu moved her arms, covering her front area as the bears paw raised into the air, poised to swipe at her. She stepped back hearing small thumping noises, looking over her hands she watched the bear collapse to the ground, five more arrows embedded into it’s body. Clutching her chest she breathed deeply trying to calm her frantic heart. Hyunsu glanced towards the wall of the village looking to see if there was anybody there but it remained empty, which meant that the thing that saved her was anything but human. Looking towards the forest she felt her heart stop in fear seeing three figures walking towards her from the direction of the forest. ‘What do I do,’ she clutched her pendant anxiously as the trio approached the bear. 

 Each of them were wearing pitch black masks that completely covered their faces, the only distinguishable features were the faintly pointed ears pointing out at the side, she could already assume they also had a small split in the bottom that distinguished them as Fae. While one of them crouched by the bear to get the arrows the other two approached her silently. Her own breathing sounded heavy and obnoxious in her own ears, she vaguely wondered just how loud it sounded to their superhuman senses. 

 Hyunsu jumped in shock after hearing a low laugh emit from the taller one. She gulped tensing as she heard them joke to each other in Nymphean, their words sounding harsher than Sooki’s. The Fae to her right roughly grabbed her arm speaking again, she didn’t have to know the language to know that he was insulting her. The Fae holding her pulled out a dagger with his spare hand, she pulled away roughly as he waved the dagger in her face, it’s pitch black blade glinting in the fading sun. 

 She dropped the pendant, it thumped silently against her chest as she tried to push him away when he brought the dagger close to her face. She eeped when the other one suddenly pulled her away from the first, his voice harsh and commanding. He roughly grabbed the pendant, before tsking in exasperation and grabbing her cheeks roughly with his gloved hands. She winced from his tight hold glaring at him as he jerked her head from side to side, making comments to his partners. 

 ‘Let me go!’ She snapped, jerking back when the first one leaned his face close to hers, she could faintly see his critical eyes through the black mesh over the eye holes. She tensed as he spoke to her slowly, his voice low and intimidating. ‘I don’t know what you’re saying! I don’t understand!’ The third one walked up as he put the arrows into the quiver on his back saying something in a light tone. The first two looked at each other before the second one suddenly picked her up and started walking away. ‘Yah! What are you doing!’ The last one suddenly started panicking, speaking quickly as she flailed in the mans arms trying to get away. Before Hyunsu could react she felt pressure on her neck and blacked out leaving her to the whims of three Fae. 

* * *

 

‘Brother, I was not being serious when I said we should bring her with us!’ Sungyeol wrung his gloved hands together, eyeing his elder brother anxiously. ‘This could all be a trick.’

 ‘The only way she could have the necklace is if she is a Nymph.’ Sunggyu grunted as he adjusted his hold on the girl.

‘To think the humans could have stolen her essence.’ Woohyun gripped the handle of his sword out of habit as he looked back to the village, it’s ugly walls an abomination against the natural scenery. 

 ‘Clan Mother will not be happy.’ 

 ‘Clan Mother won’t be?’ Woohyun scoffed, crossing his arms, ‘father will be less happy.’ 

 ‘She’s untaught,’ Sunggyu spoke up, immediately gaining the attention of his younger brothers. ‘She does not know our language, how is that possible?’ 

 ‘That’s right,’ Sungyeol nodded as he frowned at the unconscious girl Sunggyu was holding. ‘She was confused when we spoke she had no idea what we were saying, what Nymph doesn’t know her own language?’ 

 ‘She could have been kidnapped at a young age,’ Woohyun looked up at the trees as they entered the forest. ‘It is not unheard of,’ his tone dropped in disgust before he whistled announcing their return. ‘Brothers, do you remember that boy we found yesterday,’ Woohyun moved the mask to rest on the side of his face, revealing his grinning face to his brothers. ‘That was a fun time,’ he grabbed the vine that encircled the tree, digging his heels in so he could pull himself up. 

 Sungyeol laughed as he pulled himself onto the tree as well, ‘you could hear his mother’s shrieks from a mile away.’ He turned his head to look at the eldest among them, ‘brother, how are you expecting to make it up the tree while carrying her?’ 

 Sunggyu scoffed, not looking at his younger brothers, ‘do you think me a human?’ The boys laughed watching as Sunggyu slung the girl over his shoulder before clutching the vines. ‘I can still climb to the top first.’ 

 ‘I’ll beat you old man,’ Woohyun sneared at Sunggyu before digging his heels into the trees, vaulting himself upwards. Sunggyu tsked before vaulting himself up as well somehow managing to keep the girl on his shoulder as well. Dongwoo dropped down onto a branch that had twisted itself away from the tree. He watched his brothers climb in in amusement, before his mouth fell agape, unnoticable behind his mask. 

 ‘The girl, she’s the one from yesterday.’ He muttered, recognizing her soft features. He was confident she was the one he saw watching from the walls of the human village. 

 ‘Girl?’ Sungjong dropped down beside Dongwoo before whistling a short tune. ‘I thought we gave up on kidnapping wenches,’ he yelped in surprise when Dongwoo smacked him upside the head. ‘Brother, don’t hit me!’ He whined shaking his shoulders, his mask hiding his pout. 

 ‘She’s not a wench,’ Dongwoo jumped up grabbing the branch above him and swinging himself onto it so that he stayed above of the three racers. 

 ‘She’s not human either,’ Sungyeol spoke up causing Sungjong to nearly drop mid swing. 

 ‘What is she?’ Sungjong jumped onto the tree beside Sunggyu staring at her hanging head as Sunggyu climbed up. ‘She wouldn’t be a gumiho, would she?’ 

 ‘No,’ Sunggyu grunted in response as he climbed by Sungjong. Sungjong immediately noticed the necklace dangling in the air, he grabbed it and looked at it, almost losing his hold once again. 

 ‘She’s a Nymph!’ He dropped the pendant and climbed back onto the branch he was on before, making his way up that way. 

‘Really?’ Dongwoo stared at the girl with narrowed eyes. ‘That would explain why she didn’t react to the song. She should have thrown herself off of the wall.’ 

 ‘You also had Miyoung in your group,’ Woohyun snickered before growling when Sungyeol climbed past him, almost kicking his head. Miyoung was a Fae known for her inability to sing, though the Fae’s view of incapability matched that of a human’s singing voice. She was rarely taken on hunts that involved charming the humans because her voice could do no such thing, she was a liability so they utilised her strengths in other activities. 

 Reaching the top Sunggyu suddenly threw himself forwards, climbing past both boys and reaching the top before them. ‘Sunggyu won, yet again,’ Woohyun lept onto the ledge, almost ramming into Hoya who was standing at the top waiting with his arms crossed. Hoya scanned the newcomers, his eyes widening in shock when he saw the extra person. 

‘Is that a human?’ He stepped towards the girl confused, barely catching her limp body when Sunggyu tossed her into his arms. 

 ‘Take her to a room, I have a meeting,’ Sunggyu walked by them, not glancing back as he made his way to the center tree where their parents were waiting. 

 ‘Actually, she’s a Nymph,’ Sungjong hooked his arm in Sungyeol’s, only to get pushed away. 

 ‘We can take her to my room, it is the cleanest,’ Dongwoo took off his mask, hooking it onto his belt as he walked past the boys. 

 ‘L has a clean room,’ Sungyeol piped up removing his mask as well, instantly the boys started laughing, they all knew L was anything but clean. Walking along the bridge to Dongwoo’s room the boys went silent saying nothing. They all got along but that didn’t mean that they necessarily had something to say all the time. Since they were all brothers there was bound to be friction between them.

 As soon as they got to Dongwoo’s room Hoya deposited her on his bed and disappeared, not one to be around females more than needed especially not ones that were related to humans in any way. ‘So, she’s the one you saw last night?’ Sungjong stared at her unashamedly before grinning at Dongwoo, ‘she’s not bad for a late start.’

 The Fae were always conflicted with Nymphs raised by humans, so refusing to accept them as full Nymph they would refer to them as late start. The term was a derogatory for the Fae because it meant that the Nymph had not been brought completely into their bloodline. The Nymph would not look like a Nymph, the magic in their blood would keep them looking like the humans around them so they would look like they belonged. The worst thing of all for the Fae was that the Nymph would be full of the rotten teachings of humans, oblivious to the pure teachings of the Fae. 

 ‘There shouldn’t be such a thing as late starts,’ Dongwoo retorted, his tone low and bitter as he scowled in the direction of the village. ‘Those humans are always messing with the course of nature.’ 

 ‘We need to go,’ Woohyun picked up her pendant, staring at it before laying it on her chest. ‘The balancers will be waiting.’ 

 ‘Who cares about the balancers, I want to be the leader,’ Sungjong crossed his arms sulking as he made his way to the door. Sungjong knew the balancers were important they were the clan leaders, in charge of keeping the clan life balanced and just. But there were also two heads of the clan, the lead Nix and his wife and Sungjong wanted to be there, he had been bossed around his whole life as the youngest and he wanted his chance to boss others around for once. 

 ‘You’re still a child Sungjong, you haven’t even had your rite of passage.’ Sungyeol grabbed the chain Sungjong hid in his shirt, his own pendant hanging on a chain that was wrapped around his leather encased wrist. 

 When the Nymphs come of age they go through a ceremony, one of the major rites of passage in the ceremony is where the Nymph can decide where the pendant gets put. The pendant can remain as a necklace, be imbedded in a piece of clothing such as a leather belt, or like what Sungyeol had where he had the chain and pendant imbedded in his leather bracelet. Since Sungjong was still considered a child the necklace hung on his neck. 

 ‘I’ll have it soon enough,’ Sungjong smacked his brothers hand away, before smiling largely. ‘Then I’ll be able to leave the forest and go see the water Nymphs.’ 

 Dongwoo chortled as he pushed past his brothers and through the door, grabbing a vine to pull himself up a level to the main walkway. ‘Just because you get to see them doesn’t mean that they will want to see you.’ 

 ‘You just want to keep them all to yourself,’ Woohyun followed after Dongwoo’s lead, practically running down the bridge. 

 ‘Leaving me behind again,’ Sungjong glanced at the room and pulled the door closed making sure it stuck before following after them. Sungjong’s ears twitched as he heard the sound of a cockatiel echo through the forest, the call to the sons of the balancers to go to the main tree. 

 ‘The balancers are taking this seriously,’ Woohyun pulled his mask off completely, resting it on the hook on his belt. 

 ‘What are they taking seriously?’ L dropped down onto the main bridge from his room, making his way to the main tree with his brothers. 

 ‘Sunggyu kidnapped a girl,’ Sungyeol scowled, crossing his arms. 

 ‘A human? Is he thinking of mating with such a repulsive being,’ L’s lip curled in disgust as Woohyun snickered. 

 ‘Yes, he is going to mate with the girl we brought,’ Woohyun ran towards the end of the bridge, leaping and grabbing a branch his leather gloves sticking to the smooth wood as he flung himself onto the lower platform. 

 ‘He is being sarcastic,’ L cast an anxious look to his brothers, ‘right?’ Sungjong just grinned at him before running towards the end of the bridge, completely ignoring the branch as he gracefully leapt across the gap, landing on the platform firmly.

 ‘Yah! Sungjong! Be careful!’ Dongwoo scolded, yet he did the exact same thing as the youngest, jumping across the void. 

 ‘Ignored, as always,’ L scowled before leaping at the branch, and swinging himself onto the platform with a lazy grace. Entering the chamber the boys went quiet seeing the gathering of the balancers, with Hoya and Sunggyu already standing in the center of the room. The seven boys stood in a line, staring at the two adults sitting in the very middle of the room. The woman in the middle stood up, her glaring green eyes scanning the boys. 

 ‘The humans had a Nymph child in their midst,’ she spoke up, her voice commanding the attention of the whole room. The Fae contained in the tree stared at her, they willingly ignoring the fact that she skipped a whole step in the meeting, a late starter was important news and worth the skip of greeting traditions. ‘Sunggyu, Woohyun, and Sungyeol brought her to our clan. They say she is uneducated, her cup full of a barbaric teaching. We are holding a vote as to whether we will send her back to the barbarians, or keep her in our fold. As the sons of the great balancers you also hold a vote, and so we called you here.’ Her gaze stopped on Sungjong, ‘even those not of age may vote in this matter. Guk? Does she indeed have the mark?’ 

 She turned her strict gaze to the Fae that entered, who nodded before moving to a far corner of the room, not eligible to participate in the vote. ‘Then we shall proceed, all in favour of casting the late starter?’ Hoya lifted his amulet, along with L, Dongwoo and five other council members, the designs lighting up. The Fae in the corner, Guk, tallied the ones who opposed, discounting the one whose pendant remained dim. The woman’s lip curled as she stared at the Fae with the dim amulet. 

 ‘Guards,’ the male beside her called out, immediately three Fae completely dressed in black took the council member by his shoulders leading him out of the chamber. ‘When voting.’ his voice was low and steady as he glared at all of the members of the council, ‘vote purely, we will not allow rot in positions of power. All those in favor of letting the late starter stay,’ immediately the rest of the elders of the group lifted their pendants, joined with Sungjong, Sungyeol, Woohyun, and Sunggyu. ‘The late starter will stay. Who will empty her glass?’ He stared at the seven boys, ‘Sungyeol, Woohyun, Sunggyu, it was you three who brought her into our midst, who will be responsible for her?’ 

 ‘Dongwoo!’ Sungyeol exclaimed when the Fae’s gaze rested on him. He cleared his throat at the inquisitive look he gained. ‘Dongwoo saw her first last night, though we brought her here she saw him first. It was because of her that we sent the scum back, as a warning.’ 

 ‘The late starter was tossed from the village by the mother, as a cascading effect by Dongwoo seeing her.’ Sunggyu spoke up in agreement with Sungyeol, eager to get the girl off his hands, he did not need another burden he already had six. 

 ‘I voted against keeping the late starter,’ Dongwoo clenched his jaw, shaking his head. 

 ‘You let her rest in your room,’ Sungjong countered, eager to see at least one of his brothers unsatisfied. 

 ‘She is in your room right now?’ The Nymph questioned, looking at the Fae beside her, he nodded to her signalling for her to look back at the boys. ‘Then it is settled, Dongwoo will empty her cup.’ He breathed in sharply, grinding his teeth as he resisted the urge to act out, throwing a tantrum would only serve to humiliate him and his family. 

 ‘Yes Clan mother,’ immediately after bowing to her, Dongwoo glared at the three brothers who helped to tie him down to his fate. 

 ‘The council may be dismissed,’ Dongwoo stalked out of the room, ignoring the chatter of his brothers. 

‘The late starter will not wake for awhile longer,’ Sunggyu brushed his fingers through his hair, staring up at the branches above them. ‘We should discuss what shall happen with the late starter.’ 

 ‘She will have to be taken to the sisters to be dressed up, Clan Mother will not wish to see her in human clothes.’ Hoya smirked readily interlacing his fingers with L when he extended his hand. 

 ‘We are not taking her to the sisters,’ Sunggyu rolled his eyes already imagining the disaster that would spawn from placing a late starter with the disastrous duo. 

 Miyoung and her sister Minhee were both some of the most intense haters of humans, The were also the closest friends to the seven boys. The two were notorious for being devious and there were many stories of their pranks. If they left the late starter with the sisters one of two things would happen, she would be accepted into their folds and subject the clan to increased terror or the sisters would hate her and would purposefully sabotage her life with the Fae. Both options were burdensome to Sunggyu and would mean he would have to be careful with the late starter. 

 ‘It’ll be fun,’ Dongwoo smirked clearly anticipating the sisters hating the late starter. He readily hopped onto a small platform and walked into a tree that held multiple cushions made from the furs of animals, there were also some tables that were apart of the tree they had entered. Sunggyu immediately sat down at the head of one of the tables, adjusting the cushion beneath him. 

 ‘As soon as the late starter wakes up you will bring her here,’ Sunggyu commanded Dongwoo, who nodded acknowledging his senior as he sat down to the right side of him. 

 ‘I don’t want to see her,’ L grumbled, quickly sitting beside Dongwoo and Hoya the three of them generating a dark aura of annoyance at the idea of being stuck with the late starter. 

 ‘I want to,’ Woohyun sat down to the left of Sunggyu, Sungjong claiming the seat down his side of the table while Sungyeol sat directly opposite of Sunggyu leaving the space between him and Sungjong empty for the late starter. 

 ‘You’re all going to see her,’ Sunggyu entwined his fingers, resting them on the table as he surveyed the contrasting emotions on the faces of his brothers. ‘Now while Dongwoo is her caretaker I believe the lessons the late starter will have to undergo should be split between all of us, we don’t want to spread our eggs too far. Dongwoo will be teaching her our language, that involves writing and reading.’ 

 ‘I don’t-’ Sunggyu raised his hand cutting Dongwoo off. 

 ‘You were assigned the task of teaching the late starter, you’re lucky I’m even lessening your burden. Hoya, you will have to teach her basic skills such as hunting and fighting.’ Hoya scowled, remaining quiet as Sunggyu moved onto the next person. ‘Sungjong, you’ll have to teach her the basics of the sky. L, you will teach her about scavenging, what may be eaten what may not. As well as where to find such things if she ever gets lost.’ 

 ‘Can’t Woohyun do that?’ 

 ‘No, Woohyun will be teaching her the basic clan skills of very Fae, cooking as well as making clothes. Sungyeol, you’ll have to make help her learn the basics of the different job fractions and help her find where she would be apart of. I will be teaching her basic etiquette.’ 

 ‘We voted against her staying, we should not be involved with her teachings,’ Hoya placed his arms on the table, subconsciously flexing his muscles to show his strength and dominance. 

‘You are still a son of the balancers so it is important that you are involved with this,’ Sungyeol piped up, Woohyun nodding in agreement.

 ‘As sons of the balancers it is our obligation to properly integrate any lost Nymph into their rightful culture and if needed help them find a clan that would fit them better.’

 ‘Dongwoo,’ Sunggyu spoke up, stopping Hoya from making a retort. ‘You will still be with her while she is being taught by us, you are still her guardian and will be involved with all of the teachings. Don’t look at me like that, if Clan Mother had given any of us the job I would be saying the same to them.’ 

 ‘I could be her guardian,’ Sungjong smiled widely, frowning when all six of his brothers immediately stared at him, each disagreeing with him in different ways. Hoya looked amused that Sungjong actually thought himself capable of being a guardian, Dongwoo was filled with disbelief that he would actually want to be the guardian, and the rest were either feeling the same or annoyed that Sungjong was trying to take up responsibilities out of his maturity level. 

 ‘You have not yet had your right of passage,’ Sunggyu spoke wearily, as if he had repeated the lines constantly, and he had. It had become automatic whenever Sungjong opened his mouth the brothers could assume he was going to complain. Sungjong was always fighting his restrictions and was impatient to officially become a clan member. 

 Before a Nymph becomes an adult they are not thought to be able to make their own opinions, they are not allowed to be leaders or vote in official events. Once a Nymph becomes an adult their voices may be heard and their opinions become valuable as well as true. They are no longer in the shadow of their parents and may make whatever decisions they choose without it reflecting back on their family because they have have become their own entity. Nymphs are also not allowed to leave the Clan’s village until they were an adult, causing the vast majority to be extremely restless while they awaited their rite of passage. This is not to say that the young were not accepted, they were, and deeply loved but anything they said before the clan had to be filtered by their parents first. 

 ‘But I will soon!’ Sungjong scowled, jerking away from Woohyun when he tried to place a hand on his shoulder empathetically. ‘I am not a child! I can make my own choices!’ 

 ‘You are a child!’ Sunggyu glared at Sungjong as he pressed his palms into the table, trying to keep himself calm. ‘You are a child until your right of passage, you must be patient Sungjong, we have all been through what you have. We all had to be patient and await our ceremony,’ Sunggyu was certainly the most burdened of the group, as the oldest of the seven he had to endure the whines of every brother below him as they awaited their ceremony. 

 ‘You don’t want your rite of passage,’ Sungyeol spoke up, immediately getting a dirty glare from the youngest brother. ‘You do not want your rite of passage, when you become an adult you are expected to mate.’ Sungyeol shuddered recalling a horrific event with a kitsune that he stumbled upon. 

 ‘Thinking about Akari again?’ Dongwoo grinned his eyes filling with a glimmer of mirth as the groups aura quickly shifted to a more happy light air. 

 ‘I have never seen a kitsune fall for a Nix as fast as she did,’ L spoke up readily joining in on Sungyeols humiliation. ‘She just wouldn’t give up, followed him everywhere, clung to him like ivy.’ 

 ‘Kitsune?’ Sungjong’s eyes sparked with excitement, he always loved hearing about the outside world, he never got a chance to experience it, he was still cocooned in the clan. 

 ‘You don’t want to ever meet a Kitsune, they choose their mates without a second thought and have no allegiance to anyone.’ Sungyeol shook his head remembering the shock of the Kitsune grabbing onto him, staring at him with wide impressionable honey coloured eyes that held an unnaturally shaped iris. 

 ‘Maybe we can leave the late starter with a kitsune,’ Hoya mused, still refusing to accept the girl. 

 ‘And leave her to be ripped to shreds?’ Woohyun rolled his eyes in disbelief, not understanding why his brothers were so against her. ‘She’s our duty, she’s a Nymph.’ 

 ‘She is not a Nymph! She is a corrupt being!’ 

 ‘She’s still a child, that means her cup may still be emptied, the teachings of humans can be removed from her,’ Sungyeol argued. He preferred his brothers making fun of him over debating about some late starter that while being interesting really meant nothing in the long run. She would eventually forget about the humans and she would eventually become a part of one of the families where they would barely see her again.

 ‘Also, it does not matter whether she is corrupt or not, either way she is a Nymph,’ Sunggyu watched the rotten expressions cross the trios faces. They knew full well she was Nymph, the necklace was the sign, only Nymphs had those necklaces, and the pendants only had the designs hers did when a Nymph was wearing it, when a human touches it the pendant would change to look like plain rock. 

 ‘You have proved your point, she is a Nymph,’ Hoya rolled his eyes, his eyes shown with a stubborn glint, just because he accepted she was a Nymph, which was irrefutable in itself, did not mean that he accepted her by any means. 

 Dongwoo lifted his head, listening to the clear sound of the birds calling outside, ‘she’s awake.’ 

 ‘What else could cause the birds to be so upset? L scoffed and glanced out of the tree where he could a bird flying in the direction of Dongwoo’s room. ‘I have no doubt they are ready to attack her.’ 

 ‘I would not doubt it if I heard that they thought she was a human,’ Dongwoo slowly pushed himself off of the cushion, his expression turning sour as he walked towards the platform. Sunggyu glared at the younger Fae, saying nothing as he watched Dongwoo leap across the gap onto the bridge and disappear from view. 

 ‘Who wants to bet he loses his temper the moment he meets her?’ Woohyun grinned watching his brothers perk up at the thought of a bet. Sunggyu narrowed his small eyes, the barely visible glint of them stopped the others from agreeing. 

 'We shouldn't be placing bets on this, it should be about emptying her cup and teaching her how to be a Nymph.' Sunggyu scolded, his gaze immediately snapped to Sungyeol when he saw him slowly stand up then send a discreet nod to Woohyun before running out. ‘Yah! Sungyeol!’ Sunggyu glared after him, not saying anything because he knew full well that Sungyeol wouldn’t hear his scolding, or rather he would pretend not to. As always Sungyeol was going to be the scout and tell the others who won the bet. 


	3. Chapter 3

Hyunsu woke up in a panic, shooting up off the bed she was on. ‘Where am I?’ She looked around the room slowly, gulping at the unfamiliar surroundings, the room smelt different from home instead of herbs and smoke it smelt of books and trees, a lot like how Sooki smelt. The room was round, the whole place was wood almost as if the room was carved into a tree, it was also immaculate. There were books neatly stacked in a bookcase, as well as some strange plants that reminded her of herbs that were growing on the window ledge. Hyunsu could feel the cold chill of panic set in when she looked out the window, all she could see was trees.

 ‘What happened?’ Hyunsu backed away the window, before looking at the door. ‘Are they leaving me to die?’ She looked at the door, her eyes widening in confusion, there was no knob. How could they open a door without a knob? Was this some kind of fancy prison? Hyunsu jumped back in surprise when the door suddenly opened. She glanced around the room and grabbed a book as a weapon, her eyebrows furrowed seeing weird scribbles on it before she dismissed it, instead watching as a male walked in. 

 The Fae was wearing a green sleevless shirt and black pants. The shirt had what looked like a heavy black belt and there was a black mask hanging on it, a similar design to the Fae who had saved her from the bear. He crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his biceps tensing intimidatingly as he glared at her, his thick lips were set into a scowl. She felt tied between marveling at how beautiful he was and screaming from fear. She fell between the two into a fearful curiosity. His cheekbones were high set like walls between his long nose. His shaggy dark brown hair was carelessly swept to the side, giving it a messy look. She felt as if a spell had been cast on her as she looked into his narrowed brown eyes, while she was rendered immobile by his strange Fae magic she could almost hear the loud thumping of her heart as it pounded faster. 

 ‘I can’t believe I have to deal with this…...brat.’ He walked towards her slowly as she stepped back, aiming the book at his head. She had no idea what he said, even if she could understand Nymphean she didn’t know if she would be able comprehend him.

 ‘Let me go or I’ll throw this at you! I mean it.’ She hissed, her voice soft and non threatening, she imagined it was a result of the spell he had cast, not realising that it was simply her own human hormones that controlled her not his magic. 

 His eyes narrowed, before he tsked rolling his eyes. He hated the sound of the human language, so rough and barbaric. It was giving him a headache to hear the late starter shriek it. 

 Hyunsu frowned, her grip loosening as she continued staring at his eyes, feeling an unshakable urging that she knew those eyes, they looked familiar. The only way they could be would be familiar was if, her mind immediately leapt to the night before when she witnessed the Fae in the torchlight, ‘you’re the guy that hurt Kwan!’ She tightened her hold on the book aiming to throw it at him again, the spell broken from the memories of Kwans broken body. 

  He scoffed and grabbed the book from her hand, easily ripping it out of her grasp. He placed it onto the desk carefully, grabbing her hand when she tried to hit him. ‘You can’t just throw books around you uneducated larva!’ He hissed confusing the oblivious human girl even more. 

 ‘I don’t understand!’ Hyunsu tried pulling her hand out of his grip, wincing in pain as he tightened his hold. He sighed exasperated before pushing her onto the bed. 

 ‘Dongwoo,’ he pointed to himself before crossing his arms, watching as she stared at him blankly, he was ready to throw her off the platform. Dongwoo didn’t like being with idiots, but at least they spoke the same tongue, this girl was another story. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, glaring at the clueless girl in front of him. 

 ‘Is that your name?’ She frowned, looking away from his angry eyes. ‘It’s not my fault I’m a human.’ She jumped in surprise when he started growling. 

 ‘Human! Of course, are you using that as an excuse? Poor me I was raised by humans? Or are you wanting to go back to that hellhole, to rot in their dead morales and ignorant ways!’ Dongwoo started ranting in Nymphean, leaving Hyunsu wide eyed and mystified. The only thing she caught was human, and she was sure he wasn’t complimenting them.

‘Okay, touchy subject.’ She watched him look at the window before grabbing her wrist, pulling her out of the room. ‘Hey! Stop it!’ Dongwoo closed his eyes resisting the urge to sap her mouth shut, he really couldn’t stand her voice it grated on him more than the shrill speech of the Dokkaebi. Dongwoo watched unamused as Hyunsu tried pulling away from him, shrieking when she almost fell off of the platform. She looked down it, going pale as she stepped back bumping into him, she couldn’t even see the ground just branches, leaves, and vines. ‘Where am I?’ 

  He ignored her, instead jumping up, grabbing a branch and pulling himself onto it, before staring at her expectantly. Her mouth fell open as she stared at him in disbelief. 

 ‘You can’t be expecting that I’ll do that,’ she spoke weakly almost shivering from his annoyed glare. ‘No,’ she waved her hands in the air, ‘I won’t,  can’t!’  He stared at her blankly before gesturing for her to get onto the branch. ‘Okay, fine, I’ll try,’ seeing no other choice she went onto her tip toes as she tried to reach the branch, her fingers didn’t even scrape the bottom. She could hear a quiet scoff before she glared up at him.

 For Dongwoo grabbing a branch was the easiest thing there was, their whole colony was situated in the trees. Climbing was one of the first things a child was taught. He watched as she stuck her tongue out in concentration, jumping up and barely grabbing the branch before her hand slipped off. 

 She jumped in surprise when he dropped down beside her, ‘you are like a baby! Even a child can grab a branch!’ She froze when he suddenly slung her over his shoulder.

 ‘Put me down! Put me down!’ She shrieked when he jumped up, swinging himself onto the main bridge. She grunted when he dropped her down onto the bridge roughly. ‘Aish, really,’ she glared at him as she pushed herself up off of the bridge. 

 ‘Thank you,’’ he muttered before scoffing at the blank look he received. ‘Thank. You.’ Dongwoo spoke slower and mimed the bowing he had seen humans do, his mouth pulling into a scowl at the dark look he got back. 

 ‘You’re not seriously saying I should say thank you!’ She clicked her tongue and scowled at him as he scowled back. Without warning he planted his hand on her head and made her bow. 

 ‘Say thank you, larva, thank. You.’ He enunciated the words again, as clearly as he could.

‘No! I won’t!’ She crossed her arms her stubbornness leaving as soon as she saw the dark stare he was sending her. 

 He growled and he grabbed her pendant waving it around, ‘you are a disgrace! You don’t have manners, and you sympathize with those mongrels, don’t you!?’ He snapped at her before he dropped it and forced her head down again. 

 Hyunsu stuttered out a repetition of what he was saying, her thanks sounding garbled and fearful. Dongwoo nodded slowly but his displeased expression told her clearly that she did not make him happy, nor did she pronounce it correctly. He walked by her leaving her behind with a scowl and a bitter taste in her mouth.

 Hyunsu trailed behind him quietly as she silently berated herself,she couldn’t believe that she just mouthed off to a Fae. She paused and looked at the pendant remembering what Sooki told her, as long as she wore it she would be safe. No matter how much he hated her, he wouldn’t kill her, or so she hoped. Hyunsu ignored those morbid thoughts and decided instead to stare at his back with narrowed eyes, ‘how long am I expected to be here? Aren’t they going to toss me out soon? Just because I’m protected that doesn’t mean they would keep me here.’ 

The Fae looked over his shoulders giving her an exasperated look ‘you’re moving like a slug, do I have to drag you?’ She huffed and kept her eyes to the ground as she caught up to him assuming that his cutting tone was an insult to her speed. He roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her beside him, ‘you think I want you walking behind me? I can’t trust a late starter like you.’

 ‘What did I do now?’ She followed beside him, her mouth falling open as she looked out at the forest. It was like a whole village was situated in the trees, there were bridges below and above her along with multiple platforms and thick smooth branches. She looked up to the top of the trees exhaling in delight at the beauty of the sunlight streaming through the large leaves, casting the area with a faint green glow. 

 Dongwoo halted in his tracks, preparing to yell at her again until he saw the wonder in her wide eyes. ‘Beautiful,’ he spoke the word he thought matched her thoughts, pointing up at the trees, before looking at her, pointing to his heart then their surroundings. 

 ‘Love?’ She tilted her head confused, watching as he pointed to his eyes, heart then surroundings saying the word again. ‘Beautiful?’ She repeated the words he said slowly. 

 He sighed and frowned at her before speaking again, ‘beau-ti-ful.’ She spoke again miming the way his mouth moved as best she could. 

 He nodded then continued walking, ignoring her. Without notice he jumped off of the bridge onto a platform and walked into the carving in the wall, leaving her behind. Hyunsu looked around before walking to the edge of the bridge, eying the large gap. ‘This is impossible, does he think I’m a Nymph? I mean really, do I look superhuman?’ She looked over the edge, shivering at the distance to the ground before looking at the platform. 

 She shrieked when someone suddenly picked her up in his arms before running and leaping into the air. She flung her arms around their neck in panic, squeezing her eyes closed. She breathed out a sigh of relief, slowly opening her eyes when she felt the thump of the person hitting the platform. 

 Hyunsu was instantly met with the staggered laughter of the Fae as he let go of her, she was tied between yelling at him and thanking him for helping her get over. She instead thought back to what the grouchy one had taught her and tried to say it, hoping he taught her the proper word she spoke it slowly. He clapped his gloved hands together, as his teardrop like eyes squinted from his smile. 

 ‘You’re already learning? Dongwoo is already teaching you right? I was worried he would have left you for the wild animals or something by now.’ He nodded and spoke quickly in Nymphean leading Hyunsu into thinking he was celebrating the use of a simple word. Or maybe the fact that she wasn’t about to scream at him, she didn’t know and wouldn’t be able to tell. He pointed to himself suddenly and spoke, ‘Sungyeol.’ This much she was sure of, he was introducing himself, and that was at least a little bit of a reassurance, she didn’t understand much else of what was happening. She would have expected the Fae to have killed a human like her, pendant or not.

 ‘Sungyeol?’ Hyunsu tilted her head and nodded before pointing to herself, ‘Hyunsu.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu?’ He smiled revealing his perfect white teeth. He bowed and took her hand, kissing the backside of her hand, ‘I am pleased to meet you.’ 

 ‘So you’ve met the larva already?’ 

  Sungyeol laughed and pinched her cheek, ‘larva? How could you call such a cute late starter like this a larva?’ Hyunsu frowned and slapped his hand away before rubbing her cheek.

 ‘What was that for?’ She huffed and looked at him funny, nobody pinched each others cheeks, was this some strange form of punishment? Hyunsu was convinced she did something wrong.

 ‘Ah,’ Sungyeol pointed at Hyunsu suddenly, shocking her, ‘Hyunsu,’ he pointed to his brother, ‘Dongwoo.’ Dongwoo scowled and turned on his heel before entering the tree. Sungyeol blinked and watched him before snickering and walking into the tree. 

 Hyunsu straightened her dress and looked into the tree  her mouth falling agape at the large room inside. Inside of the room were multiple tables but the only table that had people, already had seven people sitting there. ‘Hyunsu!’ She froze watching as Sungyeol waved to her from the table, beckoning her over. Walking slowly towards the table she froze in her tracks, it was like looking at seven gods. The Nymphs have always been more attractive than humans, she recognised their attractiveness when she first saw them, but with the seven of them together it was like an overload of her senses. Even with their masks on and their bodies covered they exuded a type of charisma that was hard to ignore. 

 ‘Hyunsu,’ one of the more excited ones got up and ran towards her, his eyes were opened wide and shining with excitement as he grabbed her arm and dragged her to the table. He pushed her down onto the cushion beside him then sat down and pointed to himself, drawing her attention to him, as she had already gathered he was far more attractive than any human she had encountered in the village. His jaw was defined, encompassing his feminine features perfectly. His black feather like hair was short, but his bangs were longer, lightly brushed up off his forehead. ‘Sungjong!’ Despite looking feminine with his softly shaped face his smile was almost sinister with the way it lifted and his piercing obsidian eyes were sparked with arrogance and strength. He was most definitely a Fae and she feared what he might be able to do to prove it. 

 ‘Sungjong?’ She repeated, feeling uncomfortable by her observations. 

 He nodded, smiling at her before he pointed to the other happy looking one, ‘Woohyun.’ Woohyun was dressed in all black, it took her a moment to recognize the thin vest he had on. Once she did she came to the realisation he was the one that was sticking the knife in her face the first time they met. Since his mask was removed she was able to see his sharp jaw and his bright smile. While Sungjongs large slanted eyes were the most attractive part, Woohyun’s smile was what captivated her, it was bright and alluring, almost as if he was promising the world. Woohyun’s dark hair was neatly brushed to the side, looking similar to what the scholars looked like in the books Sooki read. Next Sungjong pointed to the stoic one at the head of the table. 

 ‘Sunggyu,’ the quiet one introduced himself, his small eyes were watching her carefully, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. His eyes were far smaller than the eyes of the other Fae but were by no means impossible to look in. Hyunsu could see the swirling colour of his brown orbs that flowed within itself making it seem like an impossible myrid of emotion was being contained. Like the first two he was abnormally attractive, but his looks were not so much the defining feature as the inexplicable way she felt drawn to him. 

 ‘Next is Hoya,’ she gulped at the hateful glare he was sending her, he was certainly matching what she thought a Fae would act like. Like the flower that shared his namesake he was like a sculpture with a sharp chiseled jaw and thick eyebrows that rested above dark thoughtful brown eyes. ‘L.’ He then pointed to the other angry looking one, his face was just as hard as Hoya’s but unlike the first the corners of his lips were partially upturned, as if he was sharing a scornful joke about her. She gulped, feeling a shiver go down her spine at his harsh glare, although he was frightfully intimidating he exuded a powerful enticing aura. 

 ‘I don’t want to be near this thing,’ Hoya stood up ready to leave before Sunggyu forcefully pulled him back down, showing his dominance as the leader of the group.

 ‘I call it a larva,’ Dongwoo spoke up, causing Hoya to smirk, breaking his blank facade. Hyunsu watched their interactions with narrowed eyes, she was confident they were insulting her, after all what could cause such a menacing person to smirk?

 ‘Stop insulting her, it’s not her fault she was kidnapped. So stop projecting your hatred for humans onto her.’ Sunggyu crossed his arms before staring at Hyunsu blankly. 

 ‘Did I do something?’ Hyunsu stared at the group wide eyed flinching when Sungyeol suddenly started pinching her cheek. 

 ‘Look at this face! Larva aren’t like this!’ He cooed oblivious to Hyunsu’s growing belief that it was in fact a punishment. 

 ‘Larva are more attractive,’ L piped up joining the conversation. ‘Can a Nymph be that ugly?’ 

 ‘She’s a late start,’ Sungjong scolded. ‘She’s pretty for having human like features though. Not even a single point,’ he pinched the top of her ear, causing her to yelp and rub it. 

 ‘Why do you guys keep pinching me! What am I doing wrong!’ She crossed her arms, glaring at the newest perpetrator. 

 ‘Leave her alone,’ Woohyun scanned the table before standing up, ‘the Clan Mother will wish to see the late starter later on today. We must be prepared and have her proper, that includes language and dress. Dongwoo, you will need to take her to some Nymphs to prepare her.’ Hyunsu watched as Dongwoo smiled for the first time, she almost wished he hadn’t from how chilling it was. 

 ‘I’ll make sure she gets to where she needs to go,’ he reassured Woohyun as he looked at the Fae proclaimed late starter. ‘Larva!’ Hyunsu jolted already associating herself with the insulting name. 

 ‘I’ll take her,’ Sunggyu stood up brushing off his tight black pants. Hyunsu stared at him wide eyed her mind temporarily blanking, the Fae style was extremely different from her villages. Where in her village it was more simple belts, loose pants and tunics the Fae had more tight fitting clothing. Which really made sense, with the amount of tree climbing they did loose clothing would get caught on everything a lot easier. Of course all it did for her was send her gaze straight to his form. She gulped and looked away focusing her gaze on the ground as her cheeks flushed, it would certainly need getting used to, she had never really seen a mans legs before, it was obvious they would look like legs of course but nothing could be seen under their clothing. 

 ‘Yah!’ Hyunsu jumped looking at the dark eyed male that was actually growling at her. ‘Get up!’ She frowned at him, and looked back at the small eyed one with nice legs. 

 ‘Hoya, leave her alone,’ Sunggyu held out his hand to her, offering for her to take it. She stared at his long slender fingers wondering why exactly he was extending his hand to her before she became distracted, admiring the lack of callouses on on his smooth hands. Hyunsu looked down at her own hands, her nose wrinkling as she looked at the callouses that adorned them, like grass in a field there was no part of her hand that was free of them. ‘Hyunsu?’

  Immediately she looked up at him, feeling her heart jump at the way her name rolled off his tongue. His lips broke into the first smile she had seen on his face as his eyes shone with amusement, he had already caught on that the human society was not hands on. He grabbed her hand, shocking her as he lightly pulled her off the ground and towards the platform. Hyunsu’s mouth fell agape as she stared at his hand clasping hers, she couldn’t fathom why he was touching her, couldn’t he just have nodded his head to the door? That is what anyone else would have done. 

 ‘Good luck with the larva!’ Hoya called after them, Hyunsu knew Hoya was insulting her and Sunggyu assumed she could hear the heavy derogatory tone in the other man's voice took it upon himself to squeeze her hand in a sign of comfort, sending the girls mind reeling as to what exactly it means when someone squeezes another hand. As soon as Hyunsu’s feet touched the darker brown wood that signaled the start of the platform her gaze moved once again to the terrifying gap. 

 ‘Hyunsu,’ Sunggyu spoke soothingly, his voice calming her fear, until she looked again down the branches, still she could not see the ground. ‘You’re not going to fall,’ he took her hand in his again, tugging her closer to the edge. 

 ‘I’m not going to make it, I would not survive such a fall,’ she started pulling at the stray strings on her dress, she tugged at a string, feeling a small release when it came apart from her dress, letting go of the brown string she watched it flying free in the faint breeze. She watched as Sunggyu easily leapt across the gap before suddenly she felt two hands press into her backside, pushing her right off the edge. Her mouth opened in a silent scream of horror as she plummeted down towards the thick branches. She could feel her heart beat thumping in her chest roughly, almost as if it was fighting to get out. Without warning Sunggyu appeared below her, barely moving as he caught her. He looked up towards the platform, glaring at the perpetrator. L just smirked down at his elder brother before turning and walking into the tree. 

 ‘You’re alright,’ Sunggyu started dropping her arms to let her down but Hyunsu wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as she buried her head into his chest breathing deeply as she tried to calm her racing heart, it hurt her chest that her heart was pounding so much. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to forget the overwhelming terror. ‘You are okay, you’re safe. Aish, L you must have been raised by Dokkaebi,’ he scowled as he walked along the branch to a bridge that was at the same height as it. He jumped across, hypervigilant of the tightening of the terrified late starters hold. He could hear the pounding of her chest and her deep breathes were loud and uncomfortable for him. 

 Hyunsu slowly opened her eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion flood through her leaving her body heavy and stiff as she hesitantly looked out to the trees. Shuddering she looked back at Sunggyu’s shirt before her eyes trailed up to look at him. Despite having to catch her he carried her easily, he wasn’t impatient with her and his face didn’t look bitter at all. If anything she would describe his look as serene, as if nothing that had just happened had fazed him at all. 'We're almost there, then you can calm down,' he smiled at her his words instilling her with a sense of confidence, despite not understanding a single word he said 

 'Where are you taking me?' Hyunsu watched as he walked onto a small path that sprouted from the bridge reminding her of the leaves that grow off of a tree's branches. He showed no response, deciding to remain quiet rather than encourage her speaking her foul language. 'Can you let me down?' He blinked and looked down at her watching as she nodded to the ground. 'Down?' Nodding in understanding Sunggyu let Hyunsu stand on the path.

 'Down,' he spoke the same word in Nymphean, catching her attention. He pointed to the ground before repeating the word, 'down.'

 'D-down,' she repeated him as best she could, watching as he nodded his head in approval before he continued walking, his steps mesmerized her with how natural they looked. Looking down at her own feet as she followed him she became aware of how rough and barbaric her own motions looked compare to his. 

 'Sunggyu! Is this the late starter?' Hyunsu's thoughts pulled to a stop as she heard the melodious voice of a female Fae from behind her. 

 'Minhee.....' Sunggyu sighed heavily, pivoting on his heel so he could face the Nymph. 

 'Why are you taking her that way? Our place is the other way,' Hyunsu turned around to look at the new person, only to have her face drained of colour. Right in front of her was the most beautiful Nymph she had ever seen. The Nymph had bright green eyes that fit perfectly into her face, looking like the main jewels on a crown. Her nose was delicate and small, the bottom of it was shaped like a button, adding a cute air to her sophisticated look. And her hair was soft looking, her brown hair was tied in a bun, her bangs hung in ringlets around her face, emphasizing her narrow jaw line. Her outfit was just as form fitting as the ones the males were wearing, with an identical black mask hanging off her belt. 

 'Because I'm not letting her be corrupted by you and your sister,' Hyunsu did not need to see Sunggyu walk up beside her to know he was there. His presence was tangible beside her, filling her with a warmth like the sun, comforting and calm. 

 'Corrupted? You're assuming we will actually like her?' Hyunsu could feel the terse undertone beneath the womans words. Holding her tongue Hyunsu looked out at the trees, once again marveling in it's foreign beauty. She had never actually seen trees such as those before, so she decided to focus all her attention on them as the two spoke. While they argued about who was right she was admiring the way the bark was erected in lumps running up the tree. Looking closer she could see little bugs scurrying up and down the tree eager to get where they could. 

 'No, I'm assuming you'll make her bitter to her own kind,' Sunggyu sighed, glancing over at the late starter, his eyes dropped tiredly, making his pupils barely visible to any watcher. He heard Minhee's scoff at the childlike awe that was making the late starters eyes so bright. 

 'Has she never seen bugs before? Is it really that shocking?' 

 'Do not forget your place, sister,' Suggyu glared at her, his impatience growing with every second wasted on the younger Fae. 'You were once like her, and after being suppressed by the humans for so long I would think you would be encouraging her fascination with our world.' Hyunsu glanced back at them before looking back at the tree, watching as a creature started slithering it's way up the base. It had no legs just a head and what seemed to be a long tail, it's whole body looked scaled and vaguely resembled the dragons she saw on the tapestry at her village. 

 'Then let me understand her, let my sister and I prepare her for the audience with the Clan Mother,' Hyunsu's mouth opened into a small o as she watched a forked tongue poke out of it's mouth as it stopped to stare at her with small beady eyes. She reached out her hand towards it and watched as it lifted it's head, the head bobbing in the air as it stared at her, inching towards her outstretched hand. 

 'No, it is not happening, I will take her to see the All mother, she will take care of her.' Hyunsu watched as it suddenly moved it's head, wrapping itself around her arm. She shakily lifted her other hand, stroking the scales on it's head. Instantly she felt the cool firm rifts of the scales beneath her fingers as it hissed at her, it's red tongue poking again. Sunggyu looked towards Hyunsu hearing the sound before his eyes widened and he silently choked in disbelief. 

 'What?' Minhee followed his gaze before she threw her head back in loud laughter. Hyunsu watched as it's body tensed, wrapping tighter around her arm before it opened it's mouth hissing louder, revealing two large ivory fangs. 'I guess the problem is solved, if she dies today there won't be any debate as to who prepares her.' Sunggyu glared at the amused Nymph before he stepped closer to Hyunsu, stopping as the snake drew in closer to Hyunsu, it's grip starting to turn Hyunsu's arm white. 

 'Are you afraid of it?' Hyunsu blinked at looked at it, wondering why they looked so tense, she had never seen such a creature before and honestly she thought it was kind of cute. She looked at her arm marveling at it's strength, it didn't hurt all too bad but it was changing the colour of her skin. 

 'Hyunsu, put the snake down,' Hyunsu recognized only two words of that sentence, her name and down. She looked over at the strange creature then back at Sunggyu, she couldn't understand why he wanted to put it down, it was just surprised at the other Fae's loud voice. Reluctantly she crouched to the ground and put her hand on the ground, waiting for the snake to get off. Instead it continued swaying it's head in the air, seemingly aware of Hyunsu's reluctance to set it free. 

 'But it's cute,' she smiled and lightly stroked the snake's head looking up when she heard Sunggyu's strangled cry. 

 'Hyunsu,' he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, questioning as to why he was presented with such burdens, before he opened them again. 'Please put the snake down.' 

 'But it doesn't want to go down,' she spoke the last word in Nymphean as she stood, smiling at the reptile that stared back at her blankly. 

 'Alright, the girl has a death wish,' Minhee nodded her head slowly before grinning, 'she clearly was meant to meet us.' Minhee walked towards Hyunsu and grabbed her free hand, pulling her in the opposite direction Sunggyu was leading her,  not caring if she caused the late starter to be bit. Sunggyu went to reach out to her, pulling back his hand when the snake stared at him. He sighed resigned before following them, there really was nothing he could do now. He could very well just take the bite but he didn't want to have to deal with the swelling, headaches, nausea, or slurring that came with it, it just simply wasn't worth it. After all if the late starter was unable to realise that a snake was poisonous he wondered just how long it would take to teach her any common sense at all. 

 'What is it?' Hyunsu looked back at Sunggyu while she nodded at the snake. 

 'Snake,' he stared at the creature before sighing and pulling a knife out of his belt. 

 'Snake,' she chirped, learning the word faster than any of the other ones previously. As soon as the snake's gaze left his he lunged forwards and sliced the head right off the snake sending blood splattering onto Hyunsu's dress. Within moments she paled and her lips jutted out into a pout as her eyes started to burn, joined with the natural shine that came with tears. 'Why did you kill it!?' She watched as it's body limply fell off her arm, landing with a splat in the crimson pool that was created by the decapitated head. 

 'Let's go,' Sunggyu stepped over the snake's body, grabbing her hand as he pulled her away, ignorant to the pooling tears. 

 'You killed it!' 

 'Oh dear,' Minhee smiled watching as Sunggyu looked back at the girl, stiffening when he saw her holding back tears. Sunggyu had never had really had to deal with real crying before, he had experienced Sungjong's tears many times as the Nix always tried to manipulate them with tears, but never had he ever encountered real tears caused by real distress. In fact it was far too real for him, sending a pleading look to the female behind him, he deflated seeing the excited smirk plastered on her face, she would be no help. If anything she would make it worse. 

 'What?' Sunggyu frowned at her watching as her lip trembled as she tried to control herself. she tried telling herself it was just a snake, she tried telling herself it wasn't a human and that she shouldn't be feeling this upset. She had after all dealt with many dead animals, her brother was a hunter. But to her it felt like it was the only thing that understood her, it felt like it was sympathising with her and telling her she was going to be okay. She shouldn't have been surprised that just like they had taken her away from her home, they had also taken away her one source of comfort. 

 'How could you?' Hyunsu crossed her arms and glared at him. 

 'Let's go,' Sunggyu went to take her arm to lead her again but she pulled away, her trembling lips pursing together into an angry frown. 

 'I'm not going anywhere with you!' Minhee watched as Sunggyu stared at her looking extremely befuddled, he had no idea how to respond. Hyunsu was unaware in his discomfort, she was much too absorbed in her own troubles, her own mind still focused on the crimson pool that held the separated unit of what was the snake. 

 'I guess she is coming with me,' Minhee smirked at Sunggyu the pride of her conquest over him was visible from the quirk of her eyebrow right down to the superior pose of her frame. Sunggyu breathed in, his nose flaring as he tried to ignore the amount of disrespect he was receiving from both Nymphs, he almost wished that he had allowed Dongwoo to take her so he wouldn't have to deal with the nonsense of it all. Though at the same time Dongwoo would have left her for dead, or even enticed the snake into biting her. 

  'Come along, late starter,' Minhee smiled at Hyunsu, waving towards the path she planned to take her originally. Hyunsu looked at Sunggyu with an accusing gaze before she rubbed her eyes with her palms, relieving her face of all traces of the previous tears before she walked over to Minhee, choosing her over the Fae to her right. 

 'She's got absolutely no common sense,' Sunggyu scoffed, ignoring the annoyance that was bubbling within him. Despite supporting the late starter, and even saving her life she turned from him and choose one of the least trustworthy Fae he knows. Hyunsu glanced behind her, hearing his weighted speech, rolling her eyes at him she willing continued following Minhee along the path, stopping when it ran out, the end bordered by a large tree. 

 Minhee jumped onto the tree, latching onto the bark as she started climbing down towards the ground. Hyunsu stared, her eyes wide in shock before she looked down the direction Minhee was climbing, there was absolutely no way she could see the ground from their height. 'We aren't climbing all the way to the ground, are we?' She looked back at Sunggyu, not having forgotten his acts against her, but she knew he was at least more reliable than the athletic Nymph that was content to slowly climb down to the bottom. 

 'What?' Still hurt from her previous actions he glared at her, watching as she looked back at Minhee. Hyunsu watched in fascinated horror as Minhee pressed herself against the tree before vaulting herself off and onto a vine, clutching onto it Minhee slid down, disappearing in the foliage the further she got. Sunggyu blinked, staring at her as she inched towards him, staring at the edge with apprehension. Unable to hold in his amusement he smiled and shook his head and crouched, surprising Hyunsu. 

 'What are you doing?' He ignored her question and pulled her onto his back, she barely had time to grab onto him before he ran and jumped at the vine Minhee had climbed down to. Hyunsu shrieked as her feet dangled in the air, limply hitting the back of his legs as he slid down the vine. Sunggyu let go of the vine with one hand, terrifying her as he grabbed her foot and moved it so it was around his waist. Hyunsu followed his lead with her other foot, her dress riding up as she pressed herself against his back to avoid the leaves that were whipping into her face as they slid down into the foliage. Hyunsu squeezed her eyes shut out of fear as she listening to the erie squeaking sound of his gloves against the vine. 

 With a thump Sunggyu's feet hit the ground, shakily Hyunsu let go of him. She rubbed her arms as she looked up into the trees. She couldn't see the village from here, it was completely hidden from view. Gulping Hyunsu slowly looked around at their surroundings, being on the bottom of the forest was far more scary than the village; the sun was almost completely blotted out by the leaves only faint glimmers of sunlight made it through casting random hints of gold on the dark ferns that littered the ground. She jumped as a creature scurried across the ground, it looked like a moving lump of brown fur. Leaning down towards it she stared at it wide eyed, shrieking in shock when it stopped and hissed at her, opening it's mouth to reveal sharp teeth. 

 'Fine with a snake scared of a gerbil,' Sunggyu shook his head, feeling a growing interest in the late starter. Sunggyu was honestly quite neutral about her, he felt an obligation to help her because she was a Nymph but that was about it, it simply was and thus he would deal with her as he had to. But he was finding himself more and more fascinated with her, she was quite strange. He watched as she stepped back from the gerbil as it approached her. Sunggyu decided to take care of it for her so he walked towards it, quickly the creature turned on him, and started running towards him. He could hear Hyunsu's frantic gibberish, warning him against the creature, ignoring her he sped up and kicked the gerbil, watching as it flew into the air and landed in a bush quite a ways away. 

 'See?' He motioned to the bush the gerbil landed in, 'harmless.' Sunggyu watched her mouth fall open in shock before she opened and closed her mouth, speechless. He was expecting an explosive reaction like what she had to the snake but she merely, tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she absorbed what happened. Next thing he knew she nodded slowly before walking by him so she could follow after Minhee who was waiting further down the unidentifiable path. Sunggyu smiled and followed after her his mind whirring with possibilities of how she would act in other situations, his curiosity with her wouldn't be sated until he knew just how this strange foreign mind worked. 

* * *

 

Hyunsu followed Minhee all the way to a river where another Fae was waiting, the Fae looked almost exactly like Minhee except her eyes were a light ash grey. 'This is Miyoung, my sister,' Minhee smiled proudly at her duplicate who immediately scanned Hyunsu. Miyoung's lips curled in contempt as she took in Hyunsu's dirty greasy hair and blood stained worn plain brown dress.

 'Do humans not wash?' Miyoung's nose scrunched up in disgust as she looked over at her sister, 'that human boy from yesterday was the same, dirty as a rat, smelt like one too and is he expecting to stay here as we get her clean,' Miyoung looked over at Sunggyu who stared back with equal distaste. 

 'I'm not going to watch, I'm going to make sure you two don't do anything,' Miyoung's eyebrows rose in surprise as she looked over at her sister, her lips quivered as she held in a laugh. 

 'What do you think we'll do to her?' Minhee took Hyunsu's hand taking her to the river, 'at least face away from us and keep watch for predators. Honestly, what kind of a Nix is he? Can you believe a Nix can have manners such as his?'

 'Nix?' Hyunsu frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought over the unfamiliar word. 

 'Nix,' Minhee pointed to Sunggyu then pointed to herself, Miyoung, and Hyunsu, 'Nymph, Nymph, Nymph.'

 

'Nymph, Nymph, Nymph,' Hyunsu pointed to Sunggyu, Minhee, and Miyoung. Hyunsu watched in surprise as the twins burst into laughter. She blinked, confused, before looking at Sunggyu who looked like he was conflicted between being amused or offended. 

'Nix,' Minhee gestured to Sunggyu, 'Nymph,' she pointed to herself. Hyunsu felt embarrassment well up in her, for all these years she had been taught that both genders are called Nymphs but evidently they were wrong and the males were called Nix. The only thing that made her feel better in such a situation is that she had made the mistake in private with only three people to witness her blunder. If it had been in a more public place she worried it would have been unexcusable. 

 

 'I'll,' Sunggyu cleared his throat, drawing Hyunsu's attention to him, 'go and keep watch.' Hyunsu frowned watching him walk off into the bushes, leaving her alone with the Nymphs. 

 'Come on,' Minhee started unbuttoning the back of Hyunsu's dress, Hyunsu pulled away and stared at Minhee with wide confused eyes. She could easily understand that she was brought to a pool to wash, it was the only thing that could explain Sunggyu leaving but for the two sisters to stay? And even start to take her clothes off? Hyunsu waved her hands as she shook her head. 

 'Can't I wash in private?' She watched as the two sisters glanced at each other, both mentally cringing at the sound of the human language. 

 'Is she going to continue doing that?' Miyoung scoffed as she grabbed Hyunsu's shoulders, holding the girl in place as her sister started unbuttoning the back of her dress. 

 'I would say so, this late starter must be young to not understand how useless it is to speak a human language to us.' Miyoung laughed, ignoring the struggles of the girl they were speaking about. It didn't take Hyunsu long to go silent letting the sisters do as they wished, stripping her bare before pulling her into the river. 

 

 Hyunsu gasped in surprise at the strange new feeling of the cool water flowing past her, caressing her legs. Being locked in the village all her days Hyunsu had only ever encountered water in tubs, she never knew it could look so clear. Her eyes widened with curiosity as she saw a small brown creature approaching her foot, much like the snake she encountered earlier it seemed to have scales and had no limbs, but there were strange things extending out of it, almost like fans.

 'Snake?' She pointed down at the creature, repeating the word she heard earlier. Minhee looked down and laughed, her thin lips disappearing in her smile. 

 'Fish,' within moments Minhee swiped the fish out of the water and threw it at Hyunsu, grabbing it Hyunsu expected a smooth dry exterior like the snake. Shrieking in surprise she dropped the slimy creature into the water, before trying to clean her hands in the river. The Nymphs smiled at each other, mentally agreeing that the late starter was indeed quite young, and still very impressionable if she had no idea what a fish was.

 'Look at this hair,' Miyoung pulled the twine that was holding Hyunsu's hair in place, her hair fell limp against her back slick with grease. Hearing the disgusted tone the sister used Hyunsu shifted awkwardly, trying to justify her state by repeating over and over again mentally that it wasn't her fault, they needed to conserve water and so they did not bathe often afterall the village was far from any flowing water. 

 

 Minhee led Hyunsu to a deep part of the water and helped her to sit on a smooth rock, the sisters quickly started washing Hyunsu's hair, bringing out glass bottles filled with sweet scented coloured liquids. 

 

 Hyunsu sat patiently, closing her eyes , relaxing as the sisters gently rubbed her scalp, getting all of the grease out of her hair, cleaning it for the first time in years. Her eyes snapped open when she heard the telltale scrapping of a knife being pulled from its sheath. Miyoung pulled her arms up, scraping the hair off her armpits. If Hyunsu could have moved she would have, the sharp end of the blade was the only thing that kept her still. 

 'How do the humans expect to smell clean if they don't keep themselves shaven?' Miyoung's lips curled as Minhee smirked. 

 'They don't,' Minhee snickered as she pulled Hyunsu up, splashing her body with water as they continued their strange cleaning routines.

  
  
 

 Hyunsu sat on a rock on the bank of the river alone, a thin blanket was strewn across her shoulders, and her skin was a bright agitated red from all of the scrubbing. Staring down at her toes she lightly splashed the water, grimacing at the overwhelming feeling of humiliation. Here she was, the only cover for her body was a blanket and she had just been washed by two of the most beautiful females she had ever seen. She felt worthless, she had always seen herself as attractive but not anymore, there was no way she could match their beauty.

 ‘Where did they go?’ Hyunsu leaned over the water staring at her reflection, her gaze immediately fell on the pendant Sooki gave her that was swinging in the air, it was the only thing of hers they let her keep. ‘Why are they even doing this?’ She pulled herself up off the rock, wrapping the blanket around her so it covered her frail body. The only thing the silence gave her was more questions.

 ‘She is very modest,’ Minhee shifted the bag they had run to grab over her shoulders as she stared at Hyunsu from behind the treeline. 

 ‘Do you think all humans are like that?’ Miyoung walked out towards the bank, Minhee followed after her diligently. 

 ‘I don’t know.’

 ‘What is her name anyways?’ Minhee frowned in thought before smiling at her sister. 

 ‘I have no idea, no point in learning it anyways, it’s apart of her old life.’ Miyoung nodded, agreeing before she tapped Hyunsu’s shoulder. Hyunsu spun around, breathing out in relief when she saw the sisters standing behind her. ‘It’s time to get dressed,’ Miyoung smiled at her as Minhee lifted a small black leather bag off her shoulders. 

 Hyunsu blinked staring at her confused, pretending to understand what she had said. Hyunsu watched Miyoung open the bag, pulling out undergarments, thin green leggings, and a pair of black boots that matched their own. Hyunsu put on what was offered, rubbing her arms as she bit her lip, she really did not want to wear the same strange short tunics they wore. She had never seen a tunic that ended at the waist before, let alone one that was so tight. 

 ‘What do you think?’ Miyoung looked into the bag, pulling out three rolled up pieces of clothing. ‘Shirt or dress?’

 ‘She would feel more comfortable in a dress,’ Minhee caught the blank look her sister sent her, after all they weren’t looking to make her comfortable they were trying to make her into a real Nymph rather than a late starter. ‘Dresses were not a human invention,’ Minhee unrolled the black dress and passed it to Hyunsu before looking at the green vest that was rolled up. ‘Would she need a coat? It doesn’t get very cold,’ Hyunsu pulled the dress on as Miyoung immediately started tying up the back of it, not answering her twins musings

 The dress itself was made of a thin material, Hyunsu rubbed her fingers against it as she investigated it. Despite it being so thin it did not look like it would tear easily, in fact she couldn’t see what it was made of, it didn’t look like the skin of any animal, it didn’t feel like any type of leather she had felt either. 

 ‘We don’t get very cold, humans are sensitive, aren’t they? And she would still be rather human,’ Miyoung sighed and took the vest from Minhee, pulling it onto Hyunsu, tying the front of it closed. 

 ‘Should we be entrusting her with any blade?’ Minhee offered Hyunsu a thick belt that had multiple hooks along its sides. Taking it Hyunsu put it on, watching the sisters curiously as they continued talking to each other, ignoring her completely. 

 ‘I don’t know, I guess she needs some sort of protection,’ Miyoung reached into the bag and pulled out a small sheath, hooking it onto Hyunsu’s belt for her. Minhee pulled out a pair of gloves and helped Hyunsu get them on. 

 ‘She does have the boys with her,’ Minhee pulled out a wooden comb with intricate carvings imbedded in it. 

 Minhee started to brush it through Hyunsu’s hair softly, detangling it as she hummed lowly, a mystical tune emitted from her closed lips. Hyunsu closed her eyes listening to Minhee. ‘Her hair is really nice now that it is clean,’ Minhee swiftly tied Hyunsu’s hair into an intricate braid, twisting it in her fingers, considering tying in in a bun, before dropping it deciding to leave it as is.

 ‘It is, it’s not as straight as it looked,’ Miyoung smiled in disgust at the memory. Bending down she folded up the blanket and placed it into the backpack neatly, before slinging it over her back. 

 Minhee whistled, mimicking a bird, within moments Sunggyu walked through the bushes and into the small clearing. He looked over Hyunsu and nodded, she actually looked decent now that she was out of those rotten human clothes. ‘She looks nice now, right?’ Miyoung reached out her hand to Minhee, they entwined their fingers and grinned at each other before they pulled their fingers apart. 

 Hyunsu stared at them curiously, tilting her head as she frowned. Why did they entwine their fingers like that? It was such a strange thing to do. Hyunsu looked over at Sunggyu with a questioning gaze, he stared back mutely not understanding why she was so confused. Without warning he took Hyunsu’s hand, leading her towards one of the many entrances to the village. ‘What! No thank you?’ Minhee called after him, Sunggyu turned and looked at her. 

 ‘Thank you, sisters,’ Hyunsu watched him turn and walk away again, still pulling her after him. ‘Hyunsu,’ she looked at him, watching as he stopped at a large tree. ‘Get on,’ he patted his back, signalling for her to get on as he lowered himself so she could grab onto him easier, obediently Hyunsu wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood up and looked down at her feet, without a second thought he grabbed both of her feet, making her shriek in surprise, making her fold them around his waist before he jumped onto the tree, rushing to the top. 

 ‘You’re going to need to learn to do this yourself,’ he spoke, more for himself as he pulled himself onto the platform at the top, lowering himself so she could climb down. 

 ‘You’re back,’ Sungjong dropped down in front of them from an overhead branch surprising Hyunsu, much to his delight. He smiled and tugged on her hair lightly, ‘so you did take her to the sisters.' Sunggyu remained silent, refusing to admit his plans went askew. Sungjong smiled at Sunggyu, knowing full well she had been taken to the sisters. ‘Will the clan mother be calling her tonight?’

 ‘I don’t know,’ Sunggyu sighed heavily, not really knowing what to say. Sunggyu knew that the clan mother would call for her eventually he just was not sure when, it would be night soon and from his understanding that was when the humans slept. The Fae, as they lived longer seemed to also have longer days than humans, where humans would go to sleep when it’s dark, and wake when it’s light, the Fae seemed to just stay up. The Fae slept the most in early morning, after the sun had already risen, and only then for a few hours. They found no need to sleep any longer, their bodies just simply did not need the amount of sleep that humans did. 

 Hyunsu looked up at the sky, seeing faint touches of pink colouring the sky, she couldn’t believe that it hadn’t actually been that short amount of time since she had been taken. Only a few hours ago she was out in the field with her friend. Now she was entangled in the lives of the Fae. She looked over at the two Nix beside her, Sunggyu stared back at her, his lips pulled into a small smile before he looked at the younger one, speaking lowly in their foreign tongue. 

 ‘She looks tired, until she comes to her senses she will need to sleep like the humans,’ Sungjong huffed, nodding. To Sungjong sleep was just a waste of time, he barely slept preferring to take cat naps when he could, though when he did sleep nobody wanted to be the one to wake him up, he had quite the temper. 

 Hyunsu frowned watching them, she stopped walking, hearing the sound of birds filling the air, ‘the clan mother is already calling her.’ Sungjong hooked his arm in hers, pulling her to the main tree. 

 ‘She doesn’t even know any phrases yet,’ Sunggyu sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he walked the path. 

 ‘Not like she could learn any, I doubt she’s smart enough,’ Dongwoo spoke up, walking up to the trio. Hyunsu glanced back at him, her face darkened immediately before she looked forwards again, aiming on ignoring him. She knew he didn’t like her, and she had no reason to like him, she didn’t think they were going to be seeing each other every day. Sunggyu sighed, remaining silent, deciding not to correct Dongwoo, he didn’t doubt eventually she would grow on him as well, children had that way about them, of making others like them. 

 ‘I think she’ll do fine, clan mother can’t be too hard on her,’ Sungjong trailed off, looking over at  Hyunsu. Hyunsu was oblivious to their talking, instead she was pleasantly surprised to see that the entrance to the tree they were entering had a bridge, unlike the others there was no need to jump over a harrowing gap. As soon as Hyunsu walked in her breath was taken away by the sheer magnificence of the room. The room was larger than any she had seen before, there was a long table cupping the length of the room, small cushions spread out underneath them. She could also see little lamps hanging along the walls, tiny golden specks floating around inside lighting the room up with a soothing glow. 

 'She looks amazed,' Woohyun spoke up, smiling at the curious late starter in front of them. 

 Hyunsu turned back to look at the Fae behind her, 'beautiful,' she smiled speaking the first word she had learned in Nymphean. Immediately Sungyeol's face lit up as grinned at her. 

 'Look! She likes the main tree!' 

 'At least she has  some  taste,' L crossed his arms not seeing the positivity in the situation unlike his four brothers who had similar smiles brightening their faces. 

 'L, be respectful, the balancers are entering,' Sunggyu hissed, silencing the Nix as Hyunsu stared with wide eyes, watching as ten Fae stepped out from behind a tapestry. The Fae were dressed in the same outfits, each had bark brown pants and coats, then dark green shirts decorated with different golden symbols. Hyunsu could see masks hanging on their belts, unlike the black ones that hung on the younger Fae's belts these were golden masks, each with a different design similar to their shirts. She could also see the rock pendants hanging off different places. Some wore them as necklaces, a select few had them imbedded in their masks, others had them in their belts, coats, or on bracelets. Every one of the Fae also looked young, not a wrinkle was decorating the ethereal faces. Taking their seats around the tables they left two seats at the head empty. 

 Hyunsu shuffled feeling scrutinized by the Fae that were staring at her, the small number that objected to her presence had steely gazes, whereas the others seemed more curious, staring at her as if she were more of a mystery, an object rather than a person. 'We welcome your presence, balancers,' the boys spoke in harmony as they lowered themselves to the floor, prostate. Hyunsu's eyes went wide and confused as she stared at them, only to be yanked down by Dongwoo who forcefully knocked her forehead to the ground like theirs whilst wearing a heavy scowl. Hyunsu glared at the ground in front of her as she resisted the urge to rub her aching forehead. 

 'You may join with us,' a light hearted voice spoke giving the signal for them to raise. Sungyeol helped her up, glaring at Dongwoo who remained silent, a faint smirk lighting up his eyes.

 Hyunsu gulped upon see the two new Fae, at the head of the table stood a Nix and a Nymph, both were dressed in the same colours as the other Fae except they were wearing cloaks, the hoods sent shadows over their golden masks that lay on their faces, obscuring them from view. 'This is the Nymph discovered in the village?' Hyunsu gulped hearing the voice again, it echoed in the room with a defining power, she could only guess it came from the masked Nix as it was the only male of which she could not see his mouth. 

 'Yes,' Dongwoo spoke lowly, his gaze fixed on the solitary Nix. 

 'Bring her forwards,' Hyunsu frowned when Dongwoo grasped her arm, pulling her up to the table. Being as lost as she was Hyunsu started shivering, her mind falling into the depths of fear. All she could be sure of was that now after getting her prepared they were going to destroy every essence of her being. Maybe they would mentally torture her then send her back, or destroy her physical body before leaving her corpse to be discovered by the travelling caravans that were to arrive to her village tomorrow.

 'Where is her essence?' The Nymph spoke up, her voice was dark and eerie, giving Hyunsu the feeling of detachment, almost as if by hearing her speak Hyunsu was being stripped of herself, only to be replaced with an echo of herself, lost and afraid in the Nymphs mighty presence. 

 'Here,' Dongwoo motioned to the pendant that hung on her neck, resting against her bosom. The Nymph reached out, her gloved fingers snatched the pendant, looking at it she pulled it off Hyunsu's neck, passing it to the Nix beside her. Hyunsu gulped gripping the bottom of her dress, prepared to pull on it in discomfort. Dongwoo clutched her hand, stopping her from acting out on her habit. 

 'She does indeed carry the essence of a Nymph,' the Nix spoke turning his gaze on her, she could feel the hold of his look trapping her on the spot. 

 Rendered immobile from fear she watched as he held out his hand, she remained latched to the spot staring at him, lost in the moment. She was absolutely clueless, the culture was  different from her own, she had absolutely no idea of what she was possibly supposed to do. 

 Dongwoo hissed, roughly pulling her hand and laying it palm up in the Nix's. Hyunsu froze as the Nix put the pendant into her hand, staring at it before looking to the Nymph beside him. 

  'It does remain alight in her grip,' the Nymph mused, before she placed her hand over the pendant, her gloved fingers clutching onto the Nix's trapping Hyunsu's hand in between them. 'What is her human given name?' 

 'Hyunsu,' Hyunsu’s gaze didn’t leave the stack of hands, her attention was the only thing that moved to Dongwoo. 

 ‘The late starter will no longer go by that name, as she has changed her outer appearance so she must also change her inner self. Names are what defines us, it is how we are known, so as an introduction to her heritage so she will be named Yeonjung.' Hyunsu could feel the rock warm as the woman spoke, terrifying her even more than she was previously. 

 'The late starter, so named Yeonjung will be introduced to the community tomorrow.' Hyunsu watched the Nix and Nymph remove their hands from hers, before taking off their masks and sliding down their hoods to reveal their faces. 

 The Nix had dark brown straight hair that hung in a loose ponytail, his bangs framed his face, making his sharp cat like features stand out. His smile sent wrinkles to frame his deep set hazel eyes. The Nymph was equally as stunning with wavy black hair, set in a braid that hung on her shoulder, reaching down to her waist. Her eyes were a bright mossy green, her mischevious gaze matched perfectly with her lips which were pulled into a cunning smile. Her bangs emphasized her square jaw and low cheekbones that added to her strong demeanor. 

 The Nymph took Hyunsu's hands in hers, entwining their fingers, 'welcome to the clan Yeonjung, we welcome you.' She pressed her lips to Hyunsu's forehead and pulled away, she released their hands and turned, walking past the tapestry, disappearing from view. The Nix smiled at her before following after the Clan Mother, as soon as he walked through the exit the Fae sitting down stood and walked out of the room, leaving Hyunsu with the boys. 

 'Welcome to the family Yeonjung,' Sungyeol slung his arm around her shoulder, jostling her out of her surprised stupor. Hyunsu blinked remaining speechless, she had been expecting something larger from the meeting, such as getting scalped, it was something she had read as a kid in a story about the old days, apparently there were creatures that would do that and make clothing out of the scalps. But of course that was a myth and as her mother would say she was over dramatising. 

 'Yeonjung?' Sungjong waved his hand in front of her face, seeing she was staring at the tapestry, not responding at all to his brother speaking. 'Yeonjung!' Hyunsu jumped in surprise, staring at him wide eyes. 

 'Who's Yeonjung?' Hyunsu frowned looking at Sungjong, faintly noticing that his jaw was extremely similar to the Nymphs, slightly square with a barely noticeable cleft in the middle of his chin. 

 'Yeonjung,' he pointed at her before pointing at himself, 'Sungjong.' Hyunsu frowned catching on to what he was saying immediately. 

 'No, no, no, no, no, no,' Hyunsu shook her head, distancing herself from the seven. 'No, you are not renaming me, my name is the only thing I have left! I am Hyunsu,  Hyunsu !' She crossed her arms, jaw tensing as she stared defiantly at the seven Fae that stared at her in surprise.

 'I guess she wants to keep her barbaric past,' L scoffed rolling his eyes, Hyunsu's gaze snapped to his, filled with an idiotic rage she glared at him with full force. 

 'Shut up!' Her body tensed as she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her skin. Hoya's eyebrows rose immediately as he stared at her in shock. The whole time she had been rather meek, this was the loudest he had seen her. 'You took me from my home, stole my clothes and are trying to change my name, I won't accept it! I won't!' 

 'She's freaking out in her ridiculous language again,' Dongwoo sighed, immediately her eyes snapped to him as she glared at him. 

 'And you're just so annoying and draining and it's all your fault!' She put her hands to her head, the rush of energy flooding out leaving her with a headache. 'I don't want this, I don't want to be here, I want to be home!' 

 ‘She’s having a mental breakdown,’ Hoya hissed quietly, going silent when she cast him a dark look. 

 ‘I’m not going to go with this! I am leaving!’ She walked by them making her own way to the bridge outside. 

 ‘What is she doing?’ Woohyun frowned, staring after her. They watched as she looked down the bridge before she stared at a vine, she toed the edge of the bridge before grabbing it. She elicited a quiet shriek as she suddenly started sliding down the vine disappearing from view. 

 ‘Is she trying to hurt herself?’ Dongwoo scoffed, slowly walking to the edge as Sungjong ran over. 

 ‘I think she’s trying to get back to the village,’ Sungyeol frowned tilting his head as Hoya raised an eyebrow at him, neither of them really making any effort to follow her.

 ‘What else would she be doing, trying to find a unicorn?’ Hoya questioned, his voice thick with sarcasm.

 ‘They would all run away as soon as they heard her heavy stomping and ugly speaking,’ L joined in the conversation watching as Sungjong disappeared in the leaves. 

 ‘She’s gone,’ Sungjong stuck his head up, clutching onto the side of the bridge. 

 ‘What?’ Sunggyu frowned as Dongwoo scoffed, neither believed that she could have possibly gotten far. 

 ‘I can’t see her, she’s just gone,’ Sungjong smiled nervously as Sunggyu’s eyebrows dropped, his face darkening in an instant. 

 ‘Stay here,’ he instantly jumped onto a branch lower than the bridge preparing to lunge into the foliage. 

 ‘What? But I-’ Sungjong got cut off by Hoya purposefully stepping on his hand to shut him up as he jumped onto the branch with Sunggyu. 

 ‘You’re not allowed to leave the village until you go through your of age ceremony,’ L lightly stepped on his head, using it as boost to land on the branch. Sungjong dropped down lower, glaring at his brothers as they dropped down disappearing from view.

 ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Dongwoo dropped onto the branch Sungjong was on. ‘You’ll be old enough soon,’ he smiled and ran his hand through Sungjong’s hair, then ruffled it. ‘Just wait a little longer.’ He watched Sungjong slowly nod his head before he dropped down into the trees.

 Sungjong watched him disappear before he huffed glaring down at the leaves. He was always left behind, simply because he wasn't old enough, he really just wanted to go and leave the village. He paused, a grin forming on his lips as he looked around him, he knew lots of things, like when his brothers were upset, they tended to fade off to the world around them and only focus on the one issue, so they would only think of finding Yeonjung. They were hopeless trackers compared to him so he doubted they could find her, and finally one of them usually stayed behind to make sure he didn’t run off, and well he was alone. 

 ‘Geronimo,’ Sungjong smirked as he jumped in the air, Sungjong crossed his arms, placing his palms on his chest as he plummeted towards the ground, before he hit a tree right below him he reached out and gripped a branch to stop himself from smacking into the awaiting tree. Sungjong closed his eyes as he sucked in a breath through his teeth, scrunching his nose he resisting the urge to groan in pain. 

 Looking up he couldn’t see the village at all, he had gotten over excited and had just dropped for who knows how long. He chuckled in exhilaration as he looked down at the ground sitting below him, tantalizing him with it’s promise of new land to explore. He squatted and tapped his bare hands against the branch repeatedly as he breathed out slowly. 

 Quite honestly he had frequently sneaked out of the village, in fact he first heard the strange phrase geronimo from travellers. So with a grin he made up his mind, not bothered at all by the possible consequences of his actions. He dropped down onto the ground, balancing himself with his legs and one of his hands. Pushing himself off the ground he smiled proudly to himself his large delicately shaped eyes were bright with an impish glint, he would most certainly find her first, he could bet his life on it. 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Joonho stepped forwards towards Mrs. Lee, his eyes were blazing with anger as he clenched his fists, trying to physically refrain himself from acting out. ‘What have you done?’

 ‘Done? I have gotten rid of a betrayer! A liar in our midst! She was corrupt! She could have saved my boy!’ Mrs. Lee glared at the hoard of villagers that joined Joonho in the pub, her cheeks were red and bloated from her tears, her eyes wild and frantic with angst. She was unable to produce any sympathy from the apathetic listeners. ‘She watched my boy get taken by the beasts! She was bound to be next!’ Within moments Hyoheon walked up to her, his long legs closing the gap between them quickly before he raised his palm, slapping her. The woman collapsed, her frail body shivering with emotion. 

 ‘You ignorant wench! She was my fiancee! I could have protected her! But you threw her out to those monsters!’ He breathed heavily, his chest rose with every breath. ‘You gave judgement against her, so I’ll lay judgement on you as well.’ He spun to face the crowd, his eyes burning with self righteous anger. ‘This woman has abandoned our own, my  wife  to those monsters. She broke the rules and closed the gate without permission,’ he thrust his hand pointing towards the gate. ‘She broke the gate for her own selfish means, we won’t be able to leave the village again for food until it gets fixed.’ Hyoheon crossed his arms, his stature straight and dominant, captivating the gazes of the watchers, a few curious villagers that were still in their houses opened their doors and watched, trying to see what was going on. ‘She’s left us off worse off than before, and she’s left me without the love of my life.’ 

 Zuko clenched his jaw, watching Hyoheon dramatise the event as much as he could. Zuko knew that Hyoheon felt nothing for his sister's disappearance except embarrassment, after all the boy had just spent a lot of money celebrating in the tavern only to find his fiancee gone. It infuriated Zuko, he had the right to be angry, to yell, grieve, but a stranger was doing it for him. Zuko stared out at the sky, staring at the purple that came over the blue like dark stains on a cloth. Only time would tell if his sister would reappear, Zuko felt his father rest a hand on his shoulder. ‘She’ll be okay,’ Zuko looked at his father, surprised to see a bitter calmness darkening Joonho's brown orbs. 

 ‘How?’ Zuko’s voice cracked as he looked at Hyoheon who was still ranting to the villagers, purposefully riling them up. 

 ‘Your mother and I took every chance we could to protect your sister,’ Joonho removed his hand from his son's shoulder, sighing heavily. ‘She will not be killed.’ 

 ‘That’s not any comfort to me when I know she’s been left with those monsters,’ Zuko hissed, the furious anger of the crowd was contagious, already filling his soul with corrupt emotions. 

 ‘Zuko...’ His father frowned seeing the apparent change in his sons demeanor. 

 ‘We need to cast her from our village!’ Hyoheon stared at the woman who was still lying on the ground, defeated. 

 ‘She needs to go,’ Zuko hissed, for once agreeing with the smith. 

 ‘Zuko,’ Joonho stared at his son horrified that he would impose such a curse upon the woman. Although she destroyed his daughters life he didn’t believe they should destroy her life, he raised his family to rely on the principles of healers to be compassionate and help all those who need it, even if they didn’t deserve it. 

 ‘We need to hunt them down!’ Hyoheon pumped his fist in the air, ‘and we need to destroy them once and for all! We need to avenge all our families, our fellow villagers, and find my wife!’ The gathered villagers nodded, cheering their affirmations, supporting him fully. They had enough of the Fae trapping them in the village they would no longer be restrained, it had been generations since they had approached the forest and had been able to travel at night. 

 ‘Hyoheon,’ Aeko stepped up towards him from out of the crowd, ‘you’re going after her?’ 

 ‘Yes,’ he nodded firmly, crossing his arms across his chest. Aeko stared at him in disbelief, she couldn’t believe he would be so foolish as to attempt to engage the Fae in battle, especially not for a mere girl, her friend of not. ‘We can’t leave until the gate is fixed, until then we will prepare for an attack on those monsters!’ 

 Aeko scoffed, stepping back before she glared down at Mrs. Lee. ‘I can’t believe this,’ rolling her eyes she walked past the woman barely sparing a glance to her. 

 ‘Aeko,’ Mrs. Lee stumbled, trying to get up and follow her, ‘Aeko.’ Aeko remained impassive to the woman, completely ignoring her. ‘Aeko! Please!’ Mrs. Lee grabbed onto her arm, her limbs shaking weakly. ‘Please, my Kwan will be healed soon, you’ll still accept him, won’t you?’ Aeko’s lips curled in disgust as she shook Mrs. Lee off of her. 

 ‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Aeko rushed away, looking back at the crowd of villagers lead by the stunning smithy. Aeko had no plans in continuing with her engagement with Kwan, it was never publicly announced, nobody knew so she would not continue with the marriage to a cripple. No matter how healthy Kwan may be he will always be a liability, he was of no use to her blind. Aeko looked at the crowd, her gaze falling on Zuko. There were only three boys around her age Zuko, Hyoheon, and Kwan, the rest were well into adulthood or far too young. Aeko had been unwillingly paired with Kwan, but now that he was impaired she knew her parents would excuse her. 

 ‘Aeko!’ Zuko ran up to her, glancing back at the crowd of agitated villagers. ‘Do you know how Hyunsu got out of the village?’ He sighed, frowning down at the ground, ‘I don’t understand there should have been guards.’ 

 ‘I don’t know,’ Aeko sighed heavily, closing her eyes as she looked away from him. ‘I’m sorry Zuko, I saw her before, she was telling me of her and Hyoheon but I don’t know. I have no idea how she got out of the gate, I’m sorry.’ Aeko looked at Zuko with teary wide eyes. 

 ‘It’s okay,’ he smiled at her cynically, he trusted her, that she had no idea, he just worried so much. Hyunsu was his little sister, he had grown up protecting her from everything. He was the one that helped her face her fear of pigs, he was the one that picked her up when she fell. He was the one that made sure she didn’t kill herself when she tried to climb the solitary tree in the village. He was the one who caught her when she fell off the roof, he was the one who killed all of the bugs before she saw them, and he was the one who ate all of the food she didn’t like without their parents seeing. His whole role growing up was centered as her older brother and now here he was standing alone in the village, without his only sibling. He had failed her, he had failed to keep her inside the village, he had failed to protect her. 

 'Kwan was to be my beloved,' Aeko closed her eyes, stopping underneath the shade of the sole tree in the village, breathing in the fresh scents of the nearby herbs. Zuko frowned, staring at her with an empathetic gaze. 'My parents will no longer allow me to marry him, I will have to find another husband.' She sighed, looking down at her fingers as she played with them. 'I wish I could honor my promise but I hardly believe I will be allowed to.'   

 Aeko was not lying about her parents, however what she refused to disclose to Zuko was that she agreed with them fully, she just could not marry a cripple. Scanning Zuko with an appraising gaze she whimpered, her chin wobbling as her eyes started to tear up. 'It's just not fair! If only he had made it in the village in time, this never would have happened. He never would have been attacked and Mrs. Lee never would have come up with the idea to toss Hyunsu out into the wild.' 

 'I'm so sorry,' Zuko spoke slowly, his voice rumbling out of his chest in low comforting ripples. If it had been the culture of the Fae, he would have felt the need to hug her to comfort her. However in the human culture touches were used only between family and lovers, to hug her would be inappropriate. It was partly the reason why Hyunsu was given so much trouble by the Elders, by repeatedly hugging Sooki in public she had essentially been declaring to the village that Sooki was indeed family, a very close friend. 

 'I know,' Aeko sniffled, looking away from him, she had been hoping to elicit more of a reaction from him she had been hoping she could tempt him to cross line. How could she secure him as a husband if he was unwilling to cross the line now? She would have to work on Hyoheon as well, Hyunsu didn't deserve him, she didn't understand how lucky she was to have him as her fiance. Aeko needed some reassurance that Zuko was open to being her backup, after all the healers do hold a relative amount of power in the village other than the smiths. The whole village depended on them for times of sickness, and wars. 

 'Your heart is good, Aeko, whoever accepts your hand in marriage is a lucky man,' Zuko smiled softly, his eyes conveying his inner opinion of her. Although she was a perfectly pleasant girl he saw her merely as a girl, his sisters friend and by extension, his own little sister. 

 'Zuko,' her voice quivered as she looked at him with large innocent eyes, that sparkled with insecurity under her lashes. 'I know this is wrong but, please I need some comfort, I feel so lost.' She sniffed covering her mouth as a single tear spilled out of her eye. 'Can you please hug me?' Zuko hesitated, staring at her fragile frame, shaking from her so called grief. Silently he pulled her into his chest, hugging her. He didn't see the smile that pulled her lips up, or the instant drying of her eyes. He was willing to toe the line, and that was enough for her to know that she had a chance, she would gain status in the village, the status that Hyunsu so willingly left behind. ‘Thank you.’

 'Aeko,' Zuko pulled away, looking at the ground. 'I did it once,' raising his eyes he frowned at her, 'I won't do it again. Please don't ask me,' turning around Zuko walked towards his house, he could feel Aekos gaze on him until he closed the heavy wooden door behind him. 

 'Zuko!' He looked up to see his mother looking up from the pot she had over the flames, even the smell of cooking meat didn't help his mood, the smell just sent his stomach into knots. Zuko could tell immediately that Hyoheon’s yelling had not reached the house. His mother had no idea her daughter was gone, he was therefore tasked with telling her the awful news. 'Where's Hyunsu, I need her help,' she tsked and brushed her hair out of her face, scowling. 'She's always running off, she needs to learn to stay put.' 

 'Mother,' Zuko lead her to the couch, pushing her down onto it. He crouched down so he saw her eye to eye. 'She's not coming, Hyunsu's not coming,' clearing his throat he looked away, his eyes started to fill with unshed tears. 

 'What do you mean?' His mother's voice questioned him, as if detached from the situation she merely at him blankly. 

 'I don't know why, but she left the village, Mrs. Lee locked her out there, she destroyed the lever. And,' Zuko looked towards the pot that was bubbling trying to avoid his mothers look, 'she's gone missing.' 

 ‘No,’ his mother remained still, the only motion was the faint shaking of her shoulders. Gulping she gripped her thin shawl and pulled it tighter across her shoulders. ‘No, Hyunsu will be coming in soon,’ standing up she walked to the pot, dipping her long metal spoon in and stirring the broth.

 ‘No she won’t,’ Zuko frowned watching his mother continue to stare into the broth. 

 ‘She’s coming home Zuko! Now go outside and find your father and sister, we’re having supper now.’ He stared in disbelief as she walked to the kitchen, pulling out four bowls and spoons, setting the table for the whole family, plus Hyunsu. Zuko stared at her before slowly walking out, his movements were jerky and hesitant as he silently closed the door behind him.

 As soon as he left the house she collapsed covering her mouth with her hand as she choked on the tears she was fighting to hold back. ‘My baby, oh my baby, my baby’s gone,’ lifting up her shawl with shaky hands she used the worn cloth to wipe her tears. She stiffened hearing light rapping on the door. Immediately she cleared her throat and grabbed the seat of a chair, pushing herself up, ‘I’m coming!’ Roughly scrubbing her eyes with the shawl she walked to the door opening it slowly, as soon as she saw Sooki on the other side she completely opened the door, letting the former Nymph in. She closed the door behind Sooki, sniffing quietly as she struggled to keep her tears at bay. 

 ‘I’m so sorry,’ Sooki placed her palm on Hyunsu’s mothers cheek, gently wiping away a stray tear with her thumb. 

 ‘It’s not your fault,’ she cleared her throat and patted Sooki’s hand before removing it from her cheek. ‘She will be safe, won’t she? She won’t be hurt?’ 

 ‘No, she won’t be,’ Sooki took her hand and guided her to the couch, both of them sat down, their knees touching. ‘I promise you she will be safe.’ 

 ‘Will she ever return?’ She fiddled with her shawl clearing her throat, as she stared into her lap, not looking at Sooki. 

 ‘You know the chances of that are low,’ Sooki sighed, her eyes fluttered closed as she shook her head. ‘I heard the men of the village talking of attacking the Fae.’

 ‘No,’ her eyes widened as she stared at Sooki in shock. ‘They can’t, they’ll get killed.’ 

 ‘They will. Hyoheon is trying to lead the group, he is also planning to rescue your daughter.’ 

 ‘That’s good, I want my daughter back,’ she flipped from one side of the argument to the other immediately after hearing about her daughter. 

 ‘No, it’s not good,’ Sooki shook her head, she was already seeing the conflict that would evolve from the situation. If Hyunsu was accepted into the Fae society, if being the key word, they would fight to keep her in. Fae’s are extremely loyal and see the clan as second most important, only after nature, unlike the humans who saw villages as a fair way to survive by splitting the families into specialties they could get more done and live better. 

 ‘But we’ll have her back.’ Hyunsu’s mother begged, trying to show Sooki her point of view.

 ‘For a while you will, until they take her back.’ Sooki remained on the facts, the truth, Sooki was looking to the future but Hyunsu’s mother was looking to the present, ruled by her emotions. 

 ‘We shouldn’t have done this, we should have just let her die!’ Hyunsu’s mother covered her face with her shawl, her heavy breathing was audible throughout the room. 

 ‘Buyong,’ Sooki reached out to Hyunsu’s mother, putting her hand on her knee Sooki squeezed her knee, trying to physically show her empathy. ‘It was a decision that had to be made.’

 ‘But was it the wrong one?’ 

 ‘You made your decision, now you must walk the path you chose, time cannot be turned back.’ A whimper escaped Buyong’s lips as she nodded, she knew that this was her reality she just needed to hear another person say it. 

 ‘She will live Buyong, that in itself is a gift and why you chose the path for her that you did.’ 

 ‘She’ll never be my daughter again,’ Buyong clasped her hand on her mouth, a fresh set of tears flooding to her eyes. ‘I want my baby girl back,’ Sooki watched as Buyong broke down, her warm tears dampened the shawl she was clutching. Sooki had nothing to say that would make her feel better, she wished to the stars above that there was some way to lessen her pain. 


	5. Chapter 5

 Sungjong walked leisurely through the forest towards where he last saw Hyunsu. Honestly he did see Hyunsu run off, she really didn’t get that far, but he was getting tired of the village and there was no better way to get out than to get rid of his brothers. Sungjong lifted his head from the ground, pausing as he listened to the rustling of leaves, he stiffened as he heard a faint thump then the sound of scraping. Wise enough to remove himself from his surroundings he pulled himself onto a branch. His lips pulled into a smile when he saw Hyunsu’s head bobbing further away. 

 Immediately the strong vile scent of mud, body odour, and rot assaulted his nose, silently choking he yanked his mask off his belt, putting it on. His shoulders relaxed at the instant relief from the putrid smell. He watched as a dokkaebi stumbled through the bushes, the dokkaebi was a revolting green, it’s skin was rough and cracked, looking almost like an old dry leaf. There were large black horns sticking out of it’s head, where they erupted the skin was red and irritated. 

 Sungjong wrinkled his nose, shuddering in disgust as his gaze moved to the flaps of tattered dirt stained cloth that hung loosely on it’s body. The dokkaebi’s large meaty hand was clutching a wooden club that it dragged behind itself, despite having the strength to carry it normally. 

 Sungjong crossed his legs patiently waiting for it to leave, he had no problems with waiting as long as he had to he just knew that it wasn’t wise to cross paths with a dokkaebi. Then again perhaps he needed to offer it thanks for giving his clan for such wonderful ideas on how treat humans, not that he got any chances to enact them being restrained in the village was rather inopportune when it came to meeting humans. He watched the dokkaebi wander, stiffening as it raised it’s head looking towards where Hyunsu was wandering around. 

 ‘Well that’s unfortunate,’ Sungjong mused watching as the dokkaebi walked towards her, it sucked in a loud breath before it lifted it’s large club, resting it on it’s broad shoulders. He supposed that he would have to help her. The dokkaebi walked through the bushes that were separating it from Hyunsu, Sungjong leisurely climbed along the tree branches, leaping to another one that boarded on the clearing Hyunsu was in. Sungjong watched as Hyunsu turned, only to see the dokkaebi’s large circular eyes staring at her. 

 Hyunsu felt a shudder run through her body from looking into the pitch black eyes, it was as if she was looking into an abyss that led nowhere, and contained absolutely nothing. ‘H-hello,’ her voice came out as a squeak as she clutched the bottom of her dress, stepping away from the dokkaebi. 

 ‘Hello,’ her eyes widened as she heard the low gravelly voice emit from it’s thick throat. 

 ‘H-how are you today?’ Her voice pitched higher at the end as she tried to keep her calm. Hyunsu had seen pictures of creatures like this in the Elders hall, she could vaguely remember the horrific stories that accompanied it. 

 The dokkaebi’s translucent lids closed over it’s eyes as it blinked, ‘what are you doing in the forest, human.’ 

 ‘I'm lost,' she played with the bottom of her dress, unable to find a single string to pull anywhere. Sungjong watched the two communicate with a frown, for once he was the one in the dark, he couldn't understand a single thing said. He could have sworn he heard human, it's the one word from that language he understood. 

 'Lost, in Fae clothing,' the dokkaebi stared at her with it's soulless penetrating eyes, to her the dokkaebi looked extremely wise and knowledgeable, unlike the Fae who would have easily said it was as dense as the object it was animated from. 

 'I was captured!' Hyunsu was not planning to spill her heart out to such a creature but she needed all the help she could get to get home again, even if that meant going to a monster. 'My friend gave me her necklace and told me to put it on, and then they captured me and they're trying to change me!' She could feel her eyes starting to grow warm from the tears that gathered. 

 'If you defeat me at a wrestling match, I will lead you home.' Hyunsu stared at the creature, gulping as she took in it's hulking form. It easily towered over her, if it came any closer she would have to look up to look it in the face, she had no idea how or even if she could defeat it. 

 'I don't think I can win,' she looked at its legs in wonder, she could practically see the muscles bulging out of its leg, the other leg however was covered in cloth, and not visible to her prying eyes. Hyunsu lifted her head to stare at the silent dokkaebi, he was staring at her in anticipation, clearly awaiting her consent. 

 ‘Come on Yeonjung, you can do it,’ Sungjong climbed along the trees so he had a better view of the two. Since the clan mother had dubbed Hyunsu as Yeonjung he was immediately calling her that, Hyunsu was apart of her past self and no longer necessary. Sungjong didn’t need to know the language to know what the dokkaebi was asking, they loved wrestling and judging from the dubious expression on the poor Nymphs face that’s exactly what he said. 

 ‘Al-alright,’ Hyunsu nodded stiffly, regretting her decision as soon as she saw it’s slimy green lips pull into a monstrous grin before it dropped it’s club on the ground. 

 ‘Push him to the right, the right,’ Sungjong clutched the branch, narrowing his eyes as he watched Hyunsu grasp the dokkaebi’s hands. He winced as he saw Hyunsu immediately pushing him to the left. ‘No, the right,’ he hissed silently at the look of helplessness that flashed across her face, at this rate she was going to lose. 

 Hyunsu had the exact same thought process as Sungjong, she could feel her arms shaking from the amount of strength she had to used to keep the dokkaebi from pushing her over. 

 ‘Is that all you have, human?’ She sneered pushing harder against the dokkaebi, Hyunsu knew this was her only chance to get away. If she failed this she would have no way home, she was lost she couldn’t even climb a single tree to try and see the direction home. She was far too weak, she was unprepared, she was taught to take care of the house and make a life for herself inside the village Hyunsu was not taught any of these strange new outer world things. 

 ‘The right, Yeonjung!’ Sungjong sighed and slouched against the tree he was sitting on, pulling one of his legs to his chest, letting the other one dangle in the air. The spectators instructions failed to reach the clearing which was a good thing for him, Sungjong had no idea she was grappling for a way out. If he knew that was her motivation he would have gladly screamed as loud as he could that the left was the best choice. 

 Hyunsu clenched her jaw as she stumbled back, the force of the dokkaebi’s strength was sending her to the ground. She felt her legs shake as she struggled to hold herself up, she knew what was going to happen, she pushed once more before she collapsed, falling on the ground. ‘You lost,’ the dokkaebi bent down and grabbed it’s club. ‘The Fae is waiting for you human, it would be wise to not run, unless you want to get ripped to shreds.’ The dokkaebi laughed, it’s laugher was cold and rough, lacking any emotion. Slowly the dokkaebi left the clearing, leaving Hyunsu on the ground, shaking. 

 Sungjong moved, crawling along the branch towards the clearing. He was prepared to drop down and enter the clearing, but Hyunsu’s quiet sniffling stopped him. Sungjong tilted his head, watching as she clutched her legs to her chest, burrowing her head in them and hiding her face from view. He could feel his eyebrows furrowing making creases in his forehead as her sobs grew louder, filling the clearing. He fell down on the branch, sitting as he listened to her heartfelt cries, he could hear her torment and fear, he could feel her emotions for himself. 

 Closing his eyes Sungjong looked away from the clearing, but her sobs were louder than the nature around him. There were no birds and no wind to mask the noise, it was completely silent, the forest around them was mourning with her. Sungjong weakly pushed himself up, he stared at Hyunsu, all previous excitement of beating his brothers was drained from his very being replaced with empathy for the lost late starter. 

 Shakily breathing in Sungjong ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes he breathed out deeply. Turning away from the clearing Sungjong gripped the tree, pausing as he clutched the rough bark, he had never been one for dealing with emotions, he was the one who had them. Tsking he rubbed the sole of his shoe against the branch, turning around he looked back at the clearing, slowly walking down the branch. He stopped moving as he watched L appear on the other side of the clearing, staring at the crying Nymph as well. 

 ‘Good luck, Hyunsu,’ Sungjong dipped his head to her, his whispered words were lost overwhelmed by her cries. Glancing at his elder brother, Sungjong shook his head, trying to release himself of the depression that weighed down on his body leaving his chest tense and his shoulders drooped. Silently Sungjong climbed up the tree towards the village, feeling absolutely no pride for discovering the lost Nymph first. 

 L shuffled as he stared at Hyunsu, his chest constricted evoking a wince on his mask clad face. No matter matter how much he hated where she came from his heart susceptible to empathy and she was tugging on his heart strings as hard as she could. L walked into the clearing and knelt down beside the Nymph, without a second thought he rested his hand on her shoulder, then wiped her tears with his other hand. 

 Hyunsu stiffened when she felt a warm hand touching her cheek, she slowly lifted her head, expecting to see Sunggyu beside her. Hyunsu jerked away from L, her back slammed into the tree as she stared at him, her red eyes were wide with confusion. The last memory she had of L was him pushing her off a ledge, every other memory that involved him had the exact same negative influence. 

 L sighed and pulled her towards him, hugging her, she was frozen in shock as he did what he saw was the most natural thing. L was the one that had to deal with the sisters the most when they got emotional, he alongside Dongwoo were their go to people. And if there was one thing he learnt no matter the gender or personality skinship helped dispel the tears. ‘Don’t think about it,’ he was just as stiff as her as he awkwardly patted her back, ‘just relax.’ 

 Hyunsu could feel her tears flooding out again, instantly warming her cheeks as soon as she heard his whispers. She by no means heard acceptance from his sympathetic words, if she were in a better state of mind she would have realised he was awkward and acting out of habit and obligation rather than mutually liking. However what she needed was a release, she didn’t even notice how robotic and rigid he was all she saw was someone who was willing to put aside their own views of her so that they could help her. This sudden realisation of hers only lead to more crying. 

 He could feel his chest tightening more as he watched her clutch his shirt with her small fragile fingers, her tears were soaking into it, the water hitting his skin cool and uncomfortable. Unwilling to say a single word more than he already did L patted her back, he wasn’t surprised at all that she had reacted the way she had at first. He had been fully expecting a physical response like jumping away from him, he supposed he should have been surprised that she had readily taken his comfort from what he had observed of humans, they rarely ever touched each other. 

 ‘I don’t want to go back,’ Hyunsu simpered as she sniffed, gazing up at the Nix. She couldn’t see his expression from behind his mask, she would never have guessed that his forehead was furrowed with worry lines. She certainly would have never imagined that even if she could see his frown, that it was because of how he was relating to her emotions and was trying to ease her worry. 

 ‘I know,’ despite their languages being so diverse and unintelligible to the other they could in that moment understand each other perfectly. 

 ‘Please, don’t make me go back, please,’ L looked away from her pleading eyes, focusing on a flower that was blooming on a twig in the distance. 

 ‘You have to,’ he stood up, extending his hand towards her offering her his assistance. She reached out her hand to his, before she could change her mind he grasped her wrist and pulled her up. 

 Hyunsu stared at him, she looked broken, betrayed, he almost felt dirty from the look she was giving him. In his eyes she was like a child her innocence practically radiated out of her and every single thing she did. He felt almost as if he himself was corrupting her by doing what he knew was right, the humans would only destroy whatever essence of purity was left in her innocent soul. It was his duty as a Fae to be the guardian of all the Nymphs, and Nixes that were in danger of being tainted by the vile humans that roamed the earth, looking to devour any virtue that appeared before them. 

 ‘Let’s go,’ L slowly moved his hand along her wrist until he stopped at her hand, entwining their fingers so that he could ensure that she wouldn’t run off. 

 Hyunsu breathed out heavily, her chest shaking from the strain of her heavy sobbing. She wanted to scream, stomp her feet, act out like the children in her village but she knew it wouldn’t do anything. If anything she was scared that he would snap and revert to his former self, which she knew was inevitable, but there was something soothing about his current demeanor. For once she felt safe with him, his grip was a constant reminder of his presence. 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu stiffened, hearing that horrible name escape from his mouth. He could feel the change in her immediately, but he didn’t know what else to call her, he knew her name was originally Hyunsu but the clan mother changed that, and she had to accept that. None of the Fae would call her anything but that, and she needed to learn to accept it, no matter how hard it was to accept that her old life was behind her, she had to. 

  ‘Hyunsu.’ 

 L remained silent instead he stared at her, his lack of motion was quickly unnerving her, she was worried that she had ticked him off, that he was just about to relapse. L however was considering how he was going to get her up into the village, sighing he released a high whistle, signaling to his brothers that he had found her. He turned to look at the tree, grimacing as he considered throwing her over his shoulder, he could anticipate her violent reaction. 

 Hyunsu watched him turn away from him, immediately she assumed that he was going to tell her to get on his back so she went up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Down,’ she spoke in slow Nymphean, to L she sounded exactly like a pouty child. He turned his head to look at her. 

 ‘What?’ He reached his hands up and touched her arms that were wrapped around her neck. 

 ‘Down,’ she repeated, hopping slightly, L smiled and bent down allowing Hyunsu to lift her legs and wrap them around his waist. L slowly stood up, he put his hands under her legs and lifted her to adjust her so she wasn’t choking him. 

 ‘Thank you,’ he grabbed the tree and started pulling himself up. 

 ‘Th-thank, thank what?’ She trailed off confused, what he had just said seemed familiar but she couldn’t remember what it meant. 

 ‘Thank you.’

 ‘Thank you,’ she repeated, Hyunsu was surprised with how comfortable she felt speaking Nymphean, it felt more natural and comfortable on her tongue. 

 ‘Good job,’ L congratulated her before pulling himself over the final ledge, climbing onto the main bridge. He crouched down, letting her get off of him before he straightened himself as Hoya and Dongwoo approached them. 

 ‘You found the late starter?’ Hoya scowled at her, his face obscured by his mask. 

 ‘Of course he did! I was betting on him!’ Sungjong dropped down from a higher bridge, with a large over exaggerated smile on his face. 

 ‘I was betting on Woohyun, he has a thing for wimps,’ Dongwoo spoke up as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

 ‘Really? I thought that was you,’ Hoya smirked at his older brother, he pulled off his mask and hooked it on his belt. 

 ‘Tch,’ Dongwoo started walking down the bridge, his footsteps silent against the thick wood. 

 ‘Where are you going?’ L turned his head lazily, his head naturally tilted as he stared at his brother. ‘ Caregiver ,’ L smirked, watching as Dongwoo turned and faced him, ‘she needs a place to sleep.’ 

 Dongwoo threw his head back, sighing heavily, ‘just take her to the sisters.’

 ‘Don’t you think she should sleep in your room?’ Hyunsu watched the boys interact curiously before she looked over at Sungjong who seemed keen on not meeting her gaze. 

 ‘My room?’ Her head snapped immediately to look at Dongwoo when she heard his sharp tone. 

 ‘Well she isn’t going to sleep in my room,’ L took off his mask, vaguely noticing Hyunsu staring at it. He sighed and gave it to her, not reacting at all to the way her face lit up in curiosity as she twirled it in her fingers. 

 ‘And because I’m the caregiver she has to be in my room?’ 

 ‘Exactly,’ Sunggyu leapt onto the bridge, understanding what the conversation was about immediately, ‘we don’t sleep when they do, and she needs a bed tonight.’ 

 Hyunsu tuned them out as she stared at the mask, when looking at the mask she couldn’t see the eyes or mouth at all, but when she flipped it and held it over her face like how they wore it she could see out of it clearly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she spun it to look at the black mass shielding the eyes, then flipped it again staring through the eye holes. 

 ‘Look at her, she doesn’t even understand how a mask works!’ Dongwoo snatched it from her and hooked it onto L’s belt, ‘what if she goes through my stuff?’ 

 ‘Then you’ll know, everything is in impeccable order,’ Sungjong grinned at Dongwoo who sighed mentally agreeing with that because he had his room organised a specific way he would notice immediately if she moved something. 

 ‘Take her to your room and let her sleep,’ Sunggyu folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the shortest brother. 

 ‘Fine,’ Dongwoo glared at her before walking towards his room. 

 ‘You’re not taking her with you,’ Hoya chirped, a smile growing as he saw how uncomfortable his brother was. Dongwoo turned around grabbed her hand and started dragging her away. 

 ‘Where am I going?’ Hyunsu frowned looking back at L who nodded to her then walked over to Sunggyu, whispering something to him. Dongwoo remained silent, he figured that the best battle tactic for combating her use of the human language was to just not respond. ‘Hello?’ She huffed and went quiet as she stared at his back.

 ‘Quiet,’ he placed a finger to his mouth before looking back ahead of him. 

 ‘Quiet,’ she repeated what he said slowly, ‘what does that mean?’ She put her finger to her mouth, mouthing what he said. ‘Oh,’ her mouth opened in a small o as she nodded, ‘it must be silent, quiet!’ she repeated the last word in Nymphean smiling in pride at her quick understanding. 

 Dongwoo sucked on his teeth as he resisted the urge to snap at the girl, ‘keep calm. She’s just a child,’ he sighed and clenched his fists, rubbing his thumbs against his index fingers. He almost laughed with delight when they arrived at his platform outside of his room, soon he would be free of the late start and he could finally get started on having fun. He leapt across the platform quickly, softly bouncing from one foot to the other as he watched her eye the gap again, like she had every other time she approached one.  'Come on, you slid down a vine without seeing where you were going, you can't be anxious about jumping over a small gap.' 

 Hyunsu ignored him as she stared into the gap, she slowly walked towards it, then jumped down onto it, sighing in relief when she survived not plummeting towards her doom for the second time. Dongwoo ran his hand along the side and pressed down on a spot that looked exactly like the rest, resulting in the knobless door swinging open. 

 Hyunsu ran her hand along the side of the tree like he did, trying to find any sign of an indent or button but she couldn't find a single indication of something that would open a door. 

 Dongwoo grabbed her shoulder and pushed her into the room, 'time to sleep, larva,' he forced her to sit on the bed before looking around the room at his stuff. 'Don't touch anything of mine.' Hyunsu ignored him, she was too enveloped in his bed. She bounced on it slightly, her mouth fell agape as she pressed her palms down on it, only to have them bounce up from the soft comfortable material that was on his bed. 'What are you doing?' 

 Hyunsu stood up and looked at his bed, the strange comfortable thing was thick and covered in the same strange thin cloth that her clothes were made of. Hyunsu sat down on the bed again and smiled at Dongwoo who stared at her blankly. 

 'Just go to bed,' he opened a drawer and pulled out a fur blanket and hide pillow before tossing them to her. Hyunsu grabbed them, her mouth parting as she ran her hands along the blanket, they didn't have these luxuries at home. They had no separation between them and the floor except the worn blankets. The blankets were made of a scratchy wool that the caravans brought them whenever they managed to make it to their village safely. Their village just didn't have the means to make all they wanted to, it was rare that her brother ever brought a buck home. The most common animal brought home from hunting was rabbit and that didn't do much for blankets, her father always ended up using the hide for notebooks instead of blankets as well, so they depended on outside supplies. 

 'It's so soft,' she picked up the pillow, she pushed her hands against it smiling at the feeling she got, it was like she was pushing on a soft animal hide bubble. Dongwoo scoffed and crossed his arms, not affected at all by her childlike curiosity, 

 'It's like she's never seen a bed before,' sighing Dongwoo turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

 Hyunsu immediately looked up from the pillow she was staring at and glared at the door, 'how rude.' She looked down at the bed and bounced on it again, when she first woke up she was much too shocked and confused to take in the comfort of the bed she awoke on. 'How is it so comfy?' She picked at the cloth and rubbed the contents between her fingers, she could feel thin leafy strands between her fingers. 

 'It's grass!' Hyunsu grasped the leather gloves slowly tugged them off, laying them on the bed before she  collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling above her. She breathed out, her eyes closing as she relished the comfort of the bed beneath her. She patted the bed until she found the pillow, she grabbed it and put it under her head. She barely had enough time to cover herself with the blanket before she fell asleep. 

 

 

 Hyunsu woke up in the middle of the night, the room was almost completely dark except for a small jar that had been placed on the desk. There were small luminescent creatures flying in the jar, casting a golden glow across the room. She stood up and walked over the jar, on top of the jar was a thick brown notebook with a strange hollow branch looking thing that was wedged between two leather straps, keeping the notebook shut. Hyunsu sat down on the fur cushion and picked up the small jar on top notebook, it was filled with a strange black liquid, dismissing it she put it down and picked up the notebook, running her palm along it. The notebook cover was made of the same type of hide as her pillow except it was stained black. 

 Hyunsu opened the notebook, the first page was a beautiful picture of a girl standing in a forest surrounded by trees, unlike the dark purple beet juice her family used to write it was pitch black like the liquid in the jar. She looked closer at the girl she gasped in surprise when she realised that the girl was her. She ran her finger along the picture, feeling the faint indent from the ink, she paused when she came to scribbles below the picture that matched the style of the books around her as well as the writing that was imprinted on Kwan's forehead. 

 'Is this for me? But what do you use to write? There is no qwill...' Hyunsu frowned before she picked up the strange hollow branch that was sharpened at the end, in a moment of brilliance she flipped to a new page in the notebook and dipped the branch into the black liquid before practicing writing the date. She watched amazed as the branch wrote her name the same way that a qwill would, the strange black liquid was staining her name into the coarse yellow parchment. Smiling Hyunsu started writing down her memories, she didn't want to ever lose herself to the Fae, and she knew she would use the notebook to ensure that she always had a piece of home, of her past, whenever she forgot where she came from. 

 

* * *

 

 

 Sungjong walked leisurely through the forest towards where he last saw Hyunsu. Honestly he did see Hyunsu run off, she really didn’t get that far, but he was getting tired of the village and there was no better way to get out than to get rid of his brothers. Sungjong lifted his head from the ground, pausing as he listened to the rustling of leaves, he stiffened as he heard a faint thump then the sound of scraping. Wise enough to remove himself from his surroundings he pulled himself onto a branch. His lips pulled into a smile when he saw Hyunsu’s head bobbing further away. 

 Immediately the strong vile scent of mud, body odour, and rot assaulted his nose, silently choking he yanked his mask off his belt, putting it on. His shoulders relaxed at the instant relief from the putrid smell. He watched as a dokkaebi stumbled through the bushes, the dokkaebi was a revolting green, it’s skin was rough and cracked, looking almost like an old dry leaf. There were large black horns sticking out of it’s head, where they erupted the skin was red and irritated. 

 Sungjong wrinkled his nose, shuddering in disgust as his gaze moved to the flaps of tattered dirt stained cloth that hung loosely on it’s body. The dokkaebi’s large meaty hand was clutching a wooden club that it dragged behind itself, despite having the strength to carry it normally. 

 Sungjong crossed his legs patiently waiting for it to leave, he had no problems with waiting as long as he had to he just knew that it wasn’t wise to cross paths with a dokkaebi. Then again perhaps he needed to offer it thanks for giving his clan for such wonderful ideas on how treat humans, not that he got any chances to enact them being restrained in the village was rather inopportune when it came to meeting humans. He watched the dokkaebi wander, stiffening as it raised it’s head looking towards where Hyunsu was wandering around. 

 ‘Well that’s unfortunate,’ Sungjong mused watching as the dokkaebi walked towards her, it sucked in a loud breath before it lifted it’s large club, resting it on it’s broad shoulders. He supposed that he would have to help her. The dokkaebi walked through the bushes that were separating it from Hyunsu, Sungjong leisurely climbed along the tree branches, leaping to another one that boarded on the clearing Hyunsu was in. Sungjong watched as Hyunsu turned, only to see the dokkaebi’s large circular eyes staring at her. 

 Hyunsu felt a shudder run through her body from looking into the pitch black eyes, it was as if she was looking into an abyss that led nowhere, and contained absolutely nothing. ‘H-hello,’ her voice came out as a squeak as she clutched the bottom of her dress, stepping away from the dokkaebi. 

 ‘Hello,’ her eyes widened as she heard the low gravelly voice emit from it’s thick throat. 

 ‘H-how are you today?’ Her voice pitched higher at the end as she tried to keep her calm. Hyunsu had seen pictures of creatures like this in the Elders hall, she could vaguely remember the horrific stories that accompanied it. 

 The dokkaebi’s translucent lids closed over it’s eyes as it blinked, ‘what are you doing in the forest, human.’ 

 ‘I'm lost,' she played with the bottom of her dress, unable to find a single string to pull anywhere. Sungjong watched the two communicate with a frown, for once he was the one in the dark, he couldn't understand a single thing said. He could have sworn he heard human, it's the one word from that language he understood. 

 'Lost, in Fae clothing,' the dokkaebi stared at her with it's soulless penetrating eyes, to her the dokkaebi looked extremely wise and knowledgeable, unlike the Fae who would have easily said it was as dense as the object it was animated from. 

 'I was captured!' Hyunsu was not planning to spill her heart out to such a creature but she needed all the help she could get to get home again, even if that meant going to a monster. 'My friend gave me her necklace and told me to put it on, and then they captured me and they're trying to change me!' She could feel her eyes starting to grow warm from the tears that gathered. 

 'If you defeat me at a wrestling match, I will lead you home.' Hyunsu stared at the creature, gulping as she took in it's hulking form. It easily towered over her, if it came any closer she would have to look up to look it in the face, she had no idea how or even if she could defeat it. 

 'I don't think I can win,' she looked at its legs in wonder, she could practically see the muscles bulging out of its leg, the other leg however was covered in cloth, and not visible to her prying eyes. Hyunsu lifted her head to stare at the silent dokkaebi, he was staring at her in anticipation, clearly awaiting her consent. 

 ‘Come on Yeonjung, you can do it,’ Sungjong climbed along the trees so he had a better view of the two. Since the clan mother had dubbed Hyunsu as Yeonjung he was immediately calling her that, Hyunsu was apart of her past self and no longer necessary. Sungjong didn’t need to know the language to know what the dokkaebi was asking, they loved wrestling and judging from the dubious expression on the poor Nymphs face that’s exactly what he said. 

 ‘Al-alright,’ Hyunsu nodded stiffly, regretting her decision as soon as she saw it’s slimy green lips pull into a monstrous grin before it dropped it’s club on the ground. 

 ‘Push him to the right, the right,’ Sungjong clutched the branch, narrowing his eyes as he watched Hyunsu grasp the dokkaebi’s hands. He winced as he saw Hyunsu immediately pushing him to the left. ‘No, the right,’ he hissed silently at the look of helplessness that flashed across her face, at this rate she was going to lose. 

 Hyunsu had the exact same thought process as Sungjong, she could feel her arms shaking from the amount of strength she had to used to keep the dokkaebi from pushing her over. 

 ‘Is that all you have, human?’ She sneered pushing harder against the dokkaebi, Hyunsu knew this was her only chance to get away. If she failed this she would have no way home, she was lost she couldn’t even climb a single tree to try and see the direction home. She was far too weak, she was unprepared, she was taught to take care of the house and make a life for herself inside the village Hyunsu was not taught any of these strange new outer world things. 

 ‘The right, Yeonjung!’ Sungjong sighed and slouched against the tree he was sitting on, pulling one of his legs to his chest, letting the other one dangle in the air. The spectators instructions failed to reach the clearing which was a good thing for him, Sungjong had no idea she was grappling for a way out. If he knew that was her motivation he would have gladly screamed as loud as he could that the left was the best choice. 

 Hyunsu clenched her jaw as she stumbled back, the force of the dokkaebi’s strength was sending her to the ground. She felt her legs shake as she struggled to hold herself up, she knew what was going to happen, she pushed once more before she collapsed, falling on the ground. ‘You lost,’ the dokkaebi bent down and grabbed it’s club. ‘The Fae is waiting for you human, it would be wise to not run, unless you want to get ripped to shreds.’ The dokkaebi laughed, it’s laugher was cold and rough, lacking any emotion. Slowly the dokkaebi left the clearing, leaving Hyunsu on the ground, shaking. 

 Sungjong moved, crawling along the branch towards the clearing. He was prepared to drop down and enter the clearing, but Hyunsu’s quiet sniffling stopped him. Sungjong tilted his head, watching as she clutched her legs to her chest, burrowing her head in them and hiding her face from view. He could feel his eyebrows furrowing making creases in his forehead as her sobs grew louder, filling the clearing. He fell down on the branch, sitting as he listened to her heartfelt cries, he could hear her torment and fear, he could feel her emotions for himself. 

 Closing his eyes Sungjong looked away from the clearing, but her sobs were louder than the nature around him. There were no birds and no wind to mask the noise, it was completely silent, the forest around them was mourning with her. Sungjong weakly pushed himself up, he stared at Hyunsu, all previous excitement of beating his brothers was drained from his very being replaced with empathy for the lost late starter. 

 Shakily breathing in Sungjong ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes he breathed out deeply. Turning away from the clearing Sungjong gripped the tree, pausing as he clutched the rough bark, he had never been one for dealing with emotions, he was the one who had them. Tsking he rubbed the sole of his shoe against the branch, turning around he looked back at the clearing, slowly walking down the branch. He stopped moving as he watched L appear on the other side of the clearing, staring at the crying Nymph as well. 

 ‘Good luck, Hyunsu,’ Sungjong dipped his head to her, his whispered words were lost overwhelmed by her cries. Glancing at his elder brother, Sungjong shook his head, trying to release himself of the depression that weighed down on his body leaving his chest tense and his shoulders drooped. Silently Sungjong climbed up the tree towards the village, feeling absolutely no pride for discovering the lost Nymph first. 

 L shuffled as he stared at Hyunsu, his chest constricted evoking a wince on his mask clad face. No matter matter how much he hated where she came from his heart susceptible to empathy and she was tugging on his heart strings as hard as she could. L walked into the clearing and knelt down beside the Nymph, without a second thought he rested his hand on her shoulder, then wiped her tears with his other hand. 

 Hyunsu stiffened when she felt a warm hand touching her cheek, she slowly lifted her head, expecting to see Sunggyu beside her. Hyunsu jerked away from L, her back slammed into the tree as she stared at him, her red eyes were wide with confusion. The last memory she had of L was him pushing her off a ledge, every other memory that involved him had the exact same negative influence. 

 L sighed and pulled her towards him, hugging her, she was frozen in shock as he did what he saw was the most natural thing. L was the one that had to deal with the sisters the most when they got emotional, he alongside Dongwoo were their go to people. And if there was one thing he learnt no matter the gender or personality skinship helped dispel the tears. ‘Don’t think about it,’ he was just as stiff as her as he awkwardly patted her back, ‘just relax.’ 

 Hyunsu could feel her tears flooding out again, instantly warming her cheeks as soon as she heard his whispers. She by no means heard acceptance from his sympathetic words, if she were in a better state of mind she would have realised he was awkward and acting out of habit and obligation rather than mutually liking. However what she needed was a release, she didn’t even notice how robotic and rigid he was all she saw was someone who was willing to put aside their own views of her so that they could help her. This sudden realisation of hers only lead to more crying. 

 He could feel his chest tightening more as he watched her clutch his shirt with her small fragile fingers, her tears were soaking into it, the water hitting his skin cool and uncomfortable. Unwilling to say a single word more than he already did L patted her back, he wasn’t surprised at all that she had reacted the way she had at first. He had been fully expecting a physical response like jumping away from him, he supposed he should have been surprised that she had readily taken his comfort from what he had observed of humans, they rarely ever touched each other. 

 ‘I don’t want to go back,’ Hyunsu simpered as she sniffed, gazing up at the Nix. She couldn’t see his expression from behind his mask, she would never have guessed that his forehead was furrowed with worry lines. She certainly would have never imagined that even if she could see his frown, that it was because of how he was relating to her emotions and was trying to ease her worry. 

 ‘I know,’ despite their languages being so diverse and unintelligible to the other they could in that moment understand each other perfectly. 

 ‘Please, don’t make me go back, please,’ L looked away from her pleading eyes, focusing on a flower that was blooming on a twig in the distance. 

 ‘You have to,’ he stood up, extending his hand towards her offering her his assistance. She reached out her hand to his, before she could change her mind he grasped her wrist and pulled her up. 

 Hyunsu stared at him, she looked broken, betrayed, he almost felt dirty from the look she was giving him. In his eyes she was like a child her innocence practically radiated out of her and every single thing she did. He felt almost as if he himself was corrupting her by doing what he knew was right, the humans would only destroy whatever essence of purity was left in her innocent soul. It was his duty as a Fae to be the guardian of all the Nymphs, and Nixes that were in danger of being tainted by the vile humans that roamed the earth, looking to devour any virtue that appeared before them. 

 ‘Let’s go,’ L slowly moved his hand along her wrist until he stopped at her hand, entwining their fingers so that he could ensure that she wouldn’t run off. 

 Hyunsu breathed out heavily, her chest shaking from the strain of her heavy sobbing. She wanted to scream, stomp her feet, act out like the children in her village but she knew it wouldn’t do anything. If anything she was scared that he would snap and revert to his former self, which she knew was inevitable, but there was something soothing about his current demeanor. For once she felt safe with him, his grip was a constant reminder of his presence. 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu stiffened, hearing that horrible name escape from his mouth. He could feel the change in her immediately, but he didn’t know what else to call her, he knew her name was originally Hyunsu but the clan mother changed that, and she had to accept that. None of the Fae would call her anything but that, and she needed to learn to accept it, no matter how hard it was to accept that her old life was behind her, she had to. 

  ‘Hyunsu.’ 

 L remained silent instead he stared at her, his lack of motion was quickly unnerving her, she was worried that she had ticked him off, that he was just about to relapse. L however was considering how he was going to get her up into the village, sighing he released a high whistle, signaling to his brothers that he had found her. He turned to look at the tree, grimacing as he considered throwing her over his shoulder, he could anticipate her violent reaction. 

 Hyunsu watched him turn away from him, immediately she assumed that he was going to tell her to get on his back so she went up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. ‘Down,’ she spoke in slow Nymphean, to L she sounded exactly like a pouty child. He turned his head to look at her. 

 ‘What?’ He reached his hands up and touched her arms that were wrapped around her neck. 

 ‘Down,’ she repeated, hopping slightly, L smiled and bent down allowing Hyunsu to lift her legs and wrap them around his waist. L slowly stood up, he put his hands under her legs and lifted her to adjust her so she wasn’t choking him. 

 ‘Thank you,’ he grabbed the tree and started pulling himself up. 

 ‘Th-thank, thank what?’ She trailed off confused, what he had just said seemed familiar but she couldn’t remember what it meant. 

 ‘Thank you.’

 ‘Thank you,’ she repeated, Hyunsu was surprised with how comfortable she felt speaking Nymphean, it felt more natural and comfortable on her tongue. 

 ‘Good job,’ L congratulated her before pulling himself over the final ledge, climbing onto the main bridge. He crouched down, letting her get off of him before he straightened himself as Hoya and Dongwoo approached them. 

 ‘You found the late starter?’ Hoya scowled at her, his face obscured by his mask. 

 ‘Of course he did! I was betting on him!’ Sungjong dropped down from a higher bridge, with a large over exaggerated smile on his face. 

 ‘I was betting on Woohyun, he has a thing for wimps,’ Dongwoo spoke up as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

 ‘Really? I thought that was you,’ Hoya smirked at his older brother, he pulled off his mask and hooked it on his belt. 

 ‘Tch,’ Dongwoo started walking down the bridge, his footsteps silent against the thick wood. 

 ‘Where are you going?’ L turned his head lazily, his head naturally tilted as he stared at his brother. ‘ Caregiver ,’ L smirked, watching as Dongwoo turned and faced him, ‘she needs a place to sleep.’ 

 Dongwoo threw his head back, sighing heavily, ‘just take her to the sisters.’

 ‘Don’t you think she should sleep in your room?’ Hyunsu watched the boys interact curiously before she looked over at Sungjong who seemed keen on not meeting her gaze. 

 ‘My room?’ Her head snapped immediately to look at Dongwoo when she heard his sharp tone. 

 ‘Well she isn’t going to sleep in my room,’ L took off his mask, vaguely noticing Hyunsu staring at it. He sighed and gave it to her, not reacting at all to the way her face lit up in curiosity as she twirled it in her fingers. 

 ‘And because I’m the caregiver she has to be in my room?’ 

 ‘Exactly,’ Sunggyu leapt onto the bridge, understanding what the conversation was about immediately, ‘we don’t sleep when they do, and she needs a bed tonight.’ 

 Hyunsu tuned them out as she stared at the mask, when looking at the mask she couldn’t see the eyes or mouth at all, but when she flipped it and held it over her face like how they wore it she could see out of it clearly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she spun it to look at the black mass shielding the eyes, then flipped it again staring through the eye holes. 

 ‘Look at her, she doesn’t even understand how a mask works!’ Dongwoo snatched it from her and hooked it onto L’s belt, ‘what if she goes through my stuff?’ 

 ‘Then you’ll know, everything is in impeccable order,’ Sungjong grinned at Dongwoo who sighed mentally agreeing with that because he had his room organised a specific way he would notice immediately if she moved something. 

 ‘Take her to your room and let her sleep,’ Sunggyu folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the shortest brother. 

 ‘Fine,’ Dongwoo glared at her before walking towards his room. 

 ‘You’re not taking her with you,’ Hoya chirped, a smile growing as he saw how uncomfortable his brother was. Dongwoo turned around grabbed her hand and started dragging her away. 

 ‘Where am I going?’ Hyunsu frowned looking back at L who nodded to her then walked over to Sunggyu, whispering something to him. Dongwoo remained silent, he figured that the best battle tactic for combating her use of the human language was to just not respond. ‘Hello?’ She huffed and went quiet as she stared at his back.

 ‘Quiet,’ he placed a finger to his mouth before looking back ahead of him. 

 ‘Quiet,’ she repeated what he said slowly, ‘what does that mean?’ She put her finger to her mouth, mouthing what he said. ‘Oh,’ her mouth opened in a small o as she nodded, ‘it must be silent, quiet!’ she repeated the last word in Nymphean smiling in pride at her quick understanding. 

 Dongwoo sucked on his teeth as he resisted the urge to snap at the girl, ‘keep calm. She’s just a child,’ he sighed and clenched his fists, rubbing his thumbs against his index fingers. He almost laughed with delight when they arrived at his platform outside of his room, soon he would be free of the late start and he could finally get started on having fun. He leapt across the platform quickly, softly bouncing from one foot to the other as he watched her eye the gap again, like she had every other time she approached one.  'Come on, you slid down a vine without seeing where you were going, you can't be anxious about jumping over a small gap.' 

 Hyunsu ignored him as she stared into the gap, she slowly walked towards it, then jumped down onto it, sighing in relief when she survived not plummeting towards her doom for the second time. Dongwoo ran his hand along the side and pressed down on a spot that looked exactly like the rest, resulting in the knobless door swinging open. 

 Hyunsu ran her hand along the side of the tree like he did, trying to find any sign of an indent or button but she couldn't find a single indication of something that would open a door. 

 Dongwoo grabbed her shoulder and pushed her into the room, 'time to sleep, larva,' he forced her to sit on the bed before looking around the room at his stuff. 'Don't touch anything of mine.' Hyunsu ignored him, she was too enveloped in his bed. She bounced on it slightly, her mouth fell agape as she pressed her palms down on it, only to have them bounce up from the soft comfortable material that was on his bed. 'What are you doing?' 

 Hyunsu stood up and looked at his bed, the strange comfortable thing was thick and covered in the same strange thin cloth that her clothes were made of. Hyunsu sat down on the bed again and smiled at Dongwoo who stared at her blankly. 

 'Just go to bed,' he opened a drawer and pulled out a fur blanket and hide pillow before tossing them to her. Hyunsu grabbed them, her mouth parting as she ran her hands along the blanket, they didn't have these luxuries at home. They had no separation between them and the floor except the worn blankets. The blankets were made of a scratchy wool that the caravans brought them whenever they managed to make it to their village safely. Their village just didn't have the means to make all they wanted to, it was rare that her brother ever brought a buck home. The most common animal brought home from hunting was rabbit and that didn't do much for blankets, her father always ended up using the hide for notebooks instead of blankets as well, so they depended on outside supplies. 

 'It's so soft,' she picked up the pillow, she pushed her hands against it smiling at the feeling she got, it was like she was pushing on a soft animal hide bubble. Dongwoo scoffed and crossed his arms, not affected at all by her childlike curiosity, 

 'It's like she's never seen a bed before,' sighing Dongwoo turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

 Hyunsu immediately looked up from the pillow she was staring at and glared at the door, 'how rude.' She looked down at the bed and bounced on it again, when she first woke up she was much too shocked and confused to take in the comfort of the bed she awoke on. 'How is it so comfy?' She picked at the cloth and rubbed the contents between her fingers, she could feel thin leafy strands between her fingers. 

 'It's grass!' Hyunsu grasped the leather gloves slowly tugged them off, laying them on the bed before she  collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling above her. She breathed out, her eyes closing as she relished the comfort of the bed beneath her. She patted the bed until she found the pillow, she grabbed it and put it under her head. She barely had enough time to cover herself with the blanket before she fell asleep. 

 

 

 Hyunsu woke up in the middle of the night, the room was almost completely dark except for a small jar that had been placed on the desk. There were small luminescent creatures flying in the jar, casting a golden glow across the room. She stood up and walked over the jar, on top of the jar was a thick brown notebook with a strange hollow branch looking thing that was wedged between two leather straps, keeping the notebook shut. Hyunsu sat down on the fur cushion and picked up the small jar on top notebook, it was filled with a strange black liquid, dismissing it she put it down and picked up the notebook, running her palm along it. The notebook cover was made of the same type of hide as her pillow except it was stained black. 

 Hyunsu opened the notebook, the first page was a beautiful picture of a girl standing in a forest surrounded by trees, unlike the dark purple beet juice her family used to write it was pitch black like the liquid in the jar. She looked closer at the girl she gasped in surprise when she realised that the girl was her. She ran her finger along the picture, feeling the faint indent from the ink, she paused when she came to scribbles below the picture that matched the style of the books around her as well as the writing that was imprinted on Kwan's forehead. 

 'Is this for me? But what do you use to write? There is no qwill...' Hyunsu frowned before she picked up the strange hollow branch that was sharpened at the end, in a moment of brilliance she flipped to a new page in the notebook and dipped the branch into the black liquid before practicing writing the date. She watched amazed as the branch wrote her name the same way that a qwill would, the strange black liquid was staining her name into the coarse yellow parchment. Smiling Hyunsu started writing down her memories, she didn't want to ever lose herself to the Fae, and she knew she would use the notebook to ensure that she always had a piece of home, of her past, whenever she forgot where she came from. 


	6. Chapter 6

 Sungjong instantly gripped her mouth, covering it as some Fae glanced in their direction. He could see Hoya’s back arch out of annoyance as his elder brother resisted the urge to lunge towards the late starter and silence her himself. ‘Be quiet,’ Sungjong hissed, his eyebrows furrowing as Hyunsu fought against him by shaking her shoulders violently to try and get him off her. ‘Settle down, Hyunsu!’ Sungjong nearly sighed in relief as Dongwoo and Sunggyu jumped onto the branch in unison, both staring at the frantic nymph. 

 ‘She needs to get out of here before the humans are attacked,’ Sunggyu’s narrowed eyes flickered to the ground where a Fae was holding a human against the ground, binding the frail mans arms. Sungjong deflated, his pout covered by his mask, as always he would be sent out. He wanted to watch but as always something had to come up. ‘Dongwoo, get her out of here.’ 

 Dongwoo’s eyes widened and his full lips parted in surprise. ‘Me?’ Although his face was hidden his tone conveyed exactly what he felt, disbelief and of course, deep set annoyance. 

 ‘Yes, you,’ Sunggyu’s voice was clipped, the harshness in it made Hyunsu freeze. The Sunggyu in front of her was not the same one that laughed at her for being scared of a gerbil, the Sunggyu in front of her reminded her of Hyoheon, arrogant, self-assured, and dominant. The Sunggyu in front of her would not accept any conflicting views, and would only allow submission. 

 Hyunsu’s views of the Fae were constantly changing, warping with each second she was with them. She thought Sunggyu was nice, but now he seemed dark and terrible. She thought the Fae were all corrupt and unable to feel emotions, yet their community seemed so tightly knit, and she thought they ate humans, well there was nothing yet that disproved that fact. 

 ‘You are her guardian, she is your responsibility, so get her back to the village before the clan mother finds out we let her see the start of the hunt.’ 

 Dongwoo clenched his jaw and roughly grabbed her arm, ‘fine.’ With a final look at the clearing he pushed her to the trunk of the tree, trying to make her climb up. 

 ‘What are you doing!’ Sunggyu gripped the pendant hanging off his belt as if reminding himself as to how he dealt with his burdens daily. ‘Get down so she can climb on! She’s too weak to climb herself!’ Hyunsu lifted her head immediately recognizing a select few words, thankfully Dongwoo was going to carry her. 

 ‘Alright, alright,’ closing his eyes he knelt down, allowing Hyunsu to climb on before he jerked up, throwing her off balance. She flung his arms around his neck and tightened her hold. She could feel the muscles in his neck tense, causing her to lighten her grip. ‘I can’t believe I’m stuck with you again,’ Hyunsu sighed feeling his agitation towards her, Dongwoo rolled his shoulders uncomfortably as her warm breath tickled the back of his neck. 

 ‘What are they going to do to them?’ Hyunsu’s voice wavered as she thought back to the humans. 

 ‘Stop talking,’ he scowled, feeling annoyed by the disjointed sound of the human language. 

 ‘Down,’ Hyunsu demanded, speaking one of the few words she knew in Nymphean. 

 ‘What?’ 

 ‘Down! Get down!’ She moved one of her legs away from his waist and hit the side of his knee with her leg. ‘Get down!’ 

 It didn’t take much for Dongwoo to catch on to what she wanted, she wanted to wreck havoc and stop the Fae from attacking the humans. This was why he didn’t want her to come in the first place, she was still stuck in the same mindset as the annoying irrational humans. Hyunsu still wanted to step in every puddle she could, and make as many ripples as possible so that she could destroy the peace that once stood. The only thing that kept him from lashing out was the confidence that eventually everything would return to normal. Every body of water that was disturbed eventually returned to it’s calm and serene state as the ripples disappeared. 

 ‘Dongwoo!’ Hyunsu gripped his neck tighter as she glanced down, trying to see if she could get back on her own if she simply let go of him. 

 ‘Don’t even think about it,’ he growled out, Hyunsu could feel her body weaken at the harsh sound of his voice. Her resolve flickered, she couldn’t decide what to do, if she went back to the humans they might slaughter her too. She still had no idea why the Fae even allowed her to live. But what was the point of her living if she never made a difference? She could almost feel her mind going numb at all of the different ideas that flew through it. The fact that if she went down there and got slaughtered the humans would still be killed was the most daunting thought. She could never make a difference, especially not there, not then. 

 ‘What do I do?’ Dongwoo ignored her feeble question, doing what he did every time she spoke in that horrendous language; he blocked it out. He would not ever acknowledge her when she spoke it, she was never going to learn if he pampered her. He wasn’t quite like L where he would push her off a platform to make her get over her fears, but he was not the kind of give leniency where none should be given. 

 Hyunsu weakly gripped onto him as she stared down at the branches, watching as they gradually got further and further from the hunt. Her decision was made for her; she wasn’t able to help them. Even if she managed to somehow get away from Dongwoo, she had no way to know how to get to the clearing or back home for that matter. Was she a terrible person? Hyunsu felt like one, she felt like a weakling, pathetic, and she felt disgraced. Was it possible for her to be honourable and allow someone to remove her from a situation that she should be preventing? 

 Dongwoo pulled himself onto the bridge and crouched. Hyunsu slowly got off him, her limbs were weak and unsteady as she stood on her own. Dongwoo watched her with an annoyed grimace, why must he always be left with the emotionally sensitive people? Could he never just be able to handle the easy stuff? As he was the second eldest Sunggyu always deposited half of his problems onto Dongwoo, and the problems were usually the emotional ones because according the small eyed leader Dongwoo was the best at it. 

 ‘Look, larva,’ Dongwoo gripped his mask, wincing at how unsuitable the name sounded in the situation. ‘Late starter, this is life, people die, and they deserve it. You don’t know what they have done,’ Dongwoo was by no means going soft on the girl, it was just his instinct to try and unburden the heavy hearts before him. Just seeing her standing on the bridge drained of all energy was making him weary. ‘This is what bringing you into our clan means, depriving the whole place of energy,’ he scowled and crossed his arms across his chest. 

 Hyunsu looked down at the wooden planks of the bridge, his voice was started to annoy her. She was not stupid, she could hear how negative he was, she knew he didn’t like her and she knew he wouldn’t any time soon. But what does that matter? She doesn’t need him, if anything she could last without him. Woohyun and Sungyeol were decent with her, she could just spend time with them. ‘Goodbye,’ she walked by Dongwoo heading towards where she thought the room was she had slept in. 

 ‘Where are you going now?’ His thick lips pulled into an annoyed snarl as he followed behind her quietly. 

 Hyunsu ignored his hissed question, however, she didn’t understand it so she didn’t have too much of a problem with blocking him out. She could feel the burning desire for answers growing as she continued walking down the bridge. Why did they kidnap her? Why had they not killed her? And why did her own village betray her? She walked to the edge of the bridge and stopped as she looked over the rails. The green sea of leaves was terrifying, she had been told her whole life not to leave the village, not to go near the forest, so the fact that she was here felt unnatural. She felt as if the world would implode, she was breaking the rules. 

 Dongwoo sighed and scratched his cheek, what was he supposed to do now? He had already talked to her far more than he ever wanted to in his whole lifetime but leaving her alone was making the whole situation worse. Her emotions were tangible to him, her emotions were tangible to the whole forest, if any of the Fae come close enough to her they would be assaulted by her emotions as well. This was what humans did, they fought against their emotions so much that they didn’t realise they were amplifying them. It was one of the worst things to do and they had taught a Nymph how to ruin herself as well. 

 Hyunsu sat down on the bridge, forcing her palms into the wooden planks as she slowly put her feet over the edge. How was one meant to deal with the problems she had? Nobody had ever told her what to do, they said it was impossible, it would never happen, but, they were wrong and now she was suffering the consequences. She looked at the mass of branches, her eyes caught a small animal crawling along. ‘Dongwoo! Dongwoo!’ 

 ‘What?’ He dropped down beside her, looking pained. 

 ‘Look!’ She pointed at the fluffy animal with a faint smile. ‘It’s adorable!’ 

 ‘What? Dongwoo scanned the area she was pointing at till he saw the small palm civet that had climbed up the tree. 

 ‘What is it?’ Hyunsu had never seen such a creature before, it was as long as her arm, tail included. It’s fur was a light brown but had splotches of dark brown along it’s main body. It had the cutest small rounded ears and tiny little long paws that were tapping silently on the branch as it walked around. 

 ‘What is it,’ he repeated in Nymphean. 

 ‘It’s called what is it?’ She questioned, what he had said sounded like the questions she had learnt to say and certainly not like the name for an animal. Dongwoo sighed heavily as he resisted the urge to growl out of frustration. 

 ‘Palm civet,’ he pointed at it just as it stopped to stare at them with it’s small round obsidian eyes. 

 ‘So it’s not called, what is it?’ She repeated the Nymphean question at the end, as she stared at the creature confused. 

 ‘It’s called a palm civet, palm civet.’ 

 Palm civet?’ She tilted her head mimicking the creatures name. ‘It’s cute,’ she stared at it watching as it looked back at her before going on its way again. ‘Bye little palm civet!’ She cooed as she waved her hands at it. 

 ‘What is wrong with her?’ Dongwoo’s lips were curled up in disgust as he took in the conundrum that was the late starter. She was just extremely upset and now suddenly after seeing a little civet she was fine and excited again. 

 ‘Cute, like a child, right?’ Woohyun suddenly dropped down beside Hyunsu, surprising her. 

 ‘Woohyun!’ Her eyes brightened and she smiled at the Nix. 

 ‘What are you doing here?’ Dongwoo was immediately struck by how strange it was for him to have left the hunt. Woohyun was more of a lover of the hunt than Dongwoo and even he had been hesitant to leave. 

 ‘I got bored and noticed you two leaving,’ Dongwoo frowned suspiciously at his younger brother. Woohyun never just left a hunt especially not because he was bored, he doesn’t get bored. 

 Hyunsu tapped her boot clad feet together as they spoke, she could hear the what in Dongwoo’s question and that gave her an immediate sense of pride. It had barely been a whole day since she had come here and she already started understanding a decent amount of the language Perhaps some people would have been faster but she could care less, all that mattered to her was that she was one step closer to not being left in the dark. 

 ‘And so you abandoned the hunt to follow us?’ 

 ‘Alright fine, Sunggyu sent me to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid to her.’ Woohyun shrugged and smiled at Hyunsu. ‘But you look perfectly happy,’ he patted her cheek, making her stiffen in surprise. ‘I guess Dongwoo did something right, huh?’ He beamed at her feeling proud of how he was able to make her react even if it was because she was uncomfortable. 

 ‘She doesn’t know what a palm civet is,’ Dongwoo sighed and snapped his hand in the air as if trying to make his tension leave his body by doing so. 

 ‘How do you think she would know what a civet is? She’s been locked up in a human clan her whole life, I’d be surprised if she even knew what a snake was.’ 

 ‘How could she not know what a snake is? They could get across the meadow.’ 

 ‘Yes, but they are active most at night and that is when their gates are closed so they won’t just slither into the village. And the protectors would kill the snakes as soon if they saw one trying to enter.’ 

 ‘The humans are so unnecessarily protective. Their children should not be coddled so much.’ Dongwoo scowled, not needing to acknowledge his brothers nod of approval. 

 ‘It’s ruining their children.’ 

 ‘Precisely, just look at her,’ Dongwoo nodded to Hyunsu who had her eyes closed as she listened to the twinkling songs of the birds singing. 

 ‘I think she’s fine, isn't she adorable?’ Woohyun cooed as he mimicked her and started swinging his legs as well. 

 ‘Palm civet,’ Hyunsu spoke slowly with a heavy accent as she pointed to the civet that had just stepped out onto a branch closer to them. 

 ‘Look she said it right!’ Woohyun smiled and lightly pinched her cheek looking as proud as a father whose child had just charmed their first flower.

 Hyunsu huffed and rubbed her cheek glancing at him confused before she looked back to the civet. ‘It’s so cute.’ 

 ‘Do you want it?’ Woohyun sat up straight, his eyes glistening in excitement as what he thought was a wonderful idea sparked in his mind. 

 ‘Why are you asking her? She can’t understand what you’re saying.’ 

 ‘You’re right,’ Woohyun frowned in thought for a moment, within seconds he had pushed himself off the bridge and down into the foliage. 

 ‘Woohyun!’ Hyunsu’s eyes widened in fear as she looked downwards, trying to see if she could see his body plummeting to the ground. 

 ‘He’s fine,’ Dongwoo pressed his arm across her shoulders and made her sit up. With how far she was bending he wouldn’t have been surprised to see her fall of the bridge and break her neck. ‘Just wait.’ Hyunsu jumped in surprise as Woohyun suddenly popped up right in front of her. 

‘I have a gift for you,’ he smiled at her, before he lifted up the palm civet that was on the branch in front of them earlier. 

 ‘Is that?’ Hyunsu froze when he dropped the small animal onto her lap. 

 ‘Surprise!’ He grinned watching as she cautiously laid her hand on it’s back and lightly stroked it. Her eyes widened and her lips pulled into a smile as she ran her fingers through it’s soft fur. 

 ‘It’s so cute!’ The civet lifted it’s small head to look at her, it’s tiny black nose bumped against her chin as it sniffed her. 

 ‘It’s going to attack her,’ Dongwoo mused quietly, he wasn’t opposed to the attack at all in fact he was looking forward to the look of surprise on her face when it happened. 

 ‘No it won’t,’ Woohyun frowned at Dongwoo as he pulled himself back onto the bridge. Dongwoo shrugged impartially and stared out into the forest, listening for signs of the other Fae returning. Hyunsu remained oblivious to them as she laughed quietly at how adorable the little civet was. She noticed it stiffening so she gently picked it up and placed it on the bridge, letting it run off into the wild. ‘Why did you do that? It was a present,’ Woohyun frowned, staring after the fleeing animal. 

 Hyunsu stared at him, incapable of telling him why she had dropped it or even understand herself his words. There was no way she could enunciate herself. 

 

 The silence hung around them, weighing down on their bodies as it stifled all the energy that they had produced earlier through joking and chattering. Dongwoo sighed and pushed himself up, ‘well I guess you can take care of her now.’ Dongwoo ran and vaulted at a branch above him, he grabbed it and pulled himself onto it with an elegant ease that stupefied Hyunsu. With a flick of his finger the mask was covering his face, then he crouched and lunged into the foliage disappearing.

  Woohyun gaped at the empty space then looked at Hyunsu and moved away from her a little bit. Woohyun thought she was decent, he didn’t mind her nearly as much as his other brothers and he enjoyed seeing her but to take care of her? The very idea was shocking in itself, he did not want to be blamed if she got hurt or died. ‘Well,’ Woohyun brushed his fingers through his hair, making his bangs fall onto his forehead with a messy order to it. ‘We should do something,’ he tapped his foot against the bridge in thought before he clapped his hands together. ‘I got it!’

  Hyunsu played with her fingers as she watched him think animatedly, being alone with him was slightly frightening she had never been alone with him and she had idea what to think of him. She noticed he seemed to be jovial, joking around a lot, and he seemed to be an ardent lover of touching people. While his acts were innocent and not bad in the least Hyunsu did not grow up in such a physical culture and the idea was intimidating for her. Would she have to reciprocate his actions? Would he feel offended if she didn’t, or would he understand that it was just because she was unused to the whole touching thing she witnessed them doing.

  Woohyun slung his arm around her shoulder and lightly patted her arm, ‘let’s go!’ Hyunsu glanced at his arm, a grimace crossed her face as she looked down at the bridge. She could feel his body heat warming her body as he hummed happily, taking her past her room to a part of the village she had never seen before. ‘What do you want to start with? I personally enjoy, working with clothes.’ He looked at Hyunsu expectantly before sighing. ‘Right, there is a language barrier between us.’  

 Hyunsu’s eyes widened in curiosity as she watched him start to hum a song. There was really not that much she could do with him except follow, she didn’t know him very well at all. In fact, she was hesitant to admit that she really didn’t know any of them. She had realised because of the hunt that she had just come up with an illusion of who they were because that was the only way she could pretend she was okay. If she pretended she knew them then she wouldn’t feel so hopeless and alone. Hyunsu could have kept up the charade but when she compared the sadistic glee that erupted in their faces at the prospect of hunting some humans with the juvenile playfulness she had started to portray them as; she realised that they were very different. The Nix she was with were not juvenile, they were mature, serious, and so, so terrifyingly dangerous. 

 She hesitantly looked at Woohyun whose lips were curled up in his usual charming smile, on the surface she could see the dream she had made up but the closer she looked, the more she saw. She could see the confident stature he walked with, the way his hands were casually in his pockets, yet in the perfect position to grab the knife he had hung on his belt. She was aware of the way his eyes took in their surroundings with a serene paranoia. He was well aware of the dangers of the forest, he knew that despite being in his own village something could still happen. He didn’t look the same, the playful nature she had cast upon him suddenly fell apart, she could no longer force the image of innocence upon him because there was nothing left. 

 ‘What?’ Woohyun’s happy voice shook her reality, threatening to plunge her back down into the mirage of security. 

 ‘What?’ She was unaware of the severe shaking of her hands as she gulped, attempting to force down her thoughts, as if her thinking them would make him aware of her thoughts. 

 Woohyun wasn’t unaware, he had noticed her staring, he had noticed her strange actions, he had noticed her shaking. He noticed everything, they all did, they knew that she was on a fragile plane of reality. The Fae were always aware of the mind, of mentalities, and the dangers of new situations. He knew that what she was going through was detrimental to her progress, he knew that she had casted an image of existence upon them. It was the only way she could have been so calm during the ceremony. If she were truly aware of the reality of the situation she was in he knew it would have turned out differently, chances are she would have tried to run off again. But she had gone through with it, and whether she knew it or not she was now permanently apart of their clan. 

 His looked at her pendant that was resting against her bosom, he doubted she had even noticed that the silver tribal lines had mutated to match the designs upon the rest of his clan’s pendants. He didn’t know what he should feel but he knew that he felt anger bubbling up within him, she had thrown away her past so naively. Being apart of a clan was serious, his whole life revolved around his clan and no matter how interesting he found her, he would never be able to forgive her if she betrayed them. And Woohyun knew, he knew she would. She had no allegiance to the clan that had just incorporated her into their lives. While his people would accept her, and do anything they could for her she would remain detached, unaware. She would never know just how special the ceremony was, or how rare. It wasn’t often that a clan could welcome another of their kind; they were usually too late, forced to watch as their fellow Nymphs unwillingly gave up their very essence to the humans that enslaved them. 

 Hyunsu entwined her fingers, steading their shaking as she looked ahead of her. The way he was looking at her amplified every emotion that was already fighting for dominance within her. It was as if with a single look he was confirming everything she thought, it was if he was telling her that she was lost and that the only way she would find her way was if she ignored everything that was and live off of what is. She felt condemned. It was as if he was telling her that she was going to fail, that he knew she would wallow in her memories, that she would lose herself to what will never be. But was he really wrong? She didn’t believe he was, what was she even to do? This was not anything she had ever prepared for, she was where no human had ever wanted to be. It felt wrong and the thought of making the most of it, trying to enjoy it? It was as if she was betraying her own kind, turning her back on her own species. 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu could hear her heart screaming in anguish, because her body acknowledged the name that stripped her of her humanity. Hyunsu stared Woohyun down, letting herself for once meet his eyes, the eyes that shone with a violent harmony of sanguine skepticism. ‘Let’s go make something,’ he reached out his hand towards her, Hyunsu hesitantly reached her hand out towards him. Her hand shook as she held it above his hand, fighting within herself about whether or not there was some deeper meaning behind this whole thing. If she herself accepted him and his guidance; would she start to lose herself? Her other hand clenched at her side at the moment that the hand she had reached out towards his stopped shaking. 

 Did it really matter if she lost herself? What was she before but a mime? All she ever did was mimic the people around her, she was never truly herself. She grabbed his hand and looked up at him with a strong defiant aura that threw him off momentarily before he smiled at her. When she was at home she was terrified to be herself, it was as if she were surrounded by zombies, if she acted like herself then they would know that she was different and they would attack her. But here? She was going to die anyways, so she may as well leave her own impression. Not the one that she had be forced to be since her childhood, but the true her, the her she had never unleashed, and if they couldn’t handle it? The moment Woohyun tugged her hand to run she matched his pace, refusing to be left behind. Well that wasn’t an option, she knew they could handle every single part of her but she would try her best to overwhelm them because that’s all she had left, the challenge of destroying them like they were trying to destroy her. 

 

* * *

 

 ‘Alright,’ Woohyun led Hyunsu to a small area that had a strange scent that seemed strangely familiar to her. Immediately she recognized the hides that were stretched out on wooden frames. ‘We are going to make some parchment paper,’ he grinned as he tugged her to one of the frames. ‘We enjoy writing out history, keeps from certain things from getting diluted over time, unlike your story songs.’ He waved his hand flamboyantly before picking up a bowl full of a grainy powder. ‘Today we will partake in the creation of our paper!’ He shoved the bowl into her hands before picking up another one. 

 ‘R-right,’ Hyunsu gulped and looked down at the powder, she had no idea what he said and well she had already gotten used to his speaking without reason. He seemed to think that if he spoke more, without telling her what he was saying, she would somehow become fluent. 

 ‘You have to rub the powder into the hide, it’ll make it smooth,’ he picked up a damp cloth, dropped it into the bowl to collect the powder then started rubbing the pumice into the hide. Sighing she copied him, she had tried to help with creating parchment paper before but she always got held back. The only time her village made parchment was in the summer and that was when the Lord of the village would pay those who were not well off so they could gain some money to buy supplies from the caravans before winter. Since apparently her family was too far up the social chain she was unable to assist, even if she refused pay. 

 ‘I know what this is,’ she dipped her finger into the powder and rubbed it between her index finger and her thumb. She could feel the thick granules pressing into her skin before she lifted it to her nose, immediately the faint scent of rock, dirt, and ash filled her nose. ‘This is pumice!’ Pumice was a kind of volcanic stone that was often ground into a powder, it had a number of uses, it could be used to rub the hair off of hide, scrape off dead skin, as well as create bricks. Whenever the caravans made it they always bought all of the pumice left, her father always used it for medicinal purposes. 

 ‘Pumice,’ Woohyun lifted his bowl pronouncing the Nymphean version of the word slowly. 

 ‘Pumice,’ she repeated after him before roughly rubbing her cloth against the hide. ‘Pu-mice, pumi-ce,’ she practiced saying the word with every single scrub of her cloth. 

 Woohyun watched her before laughing lightly, she really was like a child, a determined child. He didn’t understand what was going on with her, one second she was shaking on the bridge the next she was calm and following him wherever he led. He was even mildly shocked to watch her jump over multiple gaps with ease; almost as she had been doing it her entire life. But he could already see the hardened glint in her eyes starting to fade, by the time the others met up with them it would be gone and he wouldn’t be surprised if she was back to her imagination once again. 

 ‘We taught the humans how to make parchment paper,’ Woohyun helped her scrub the hide as he talked. ‘We taught them a lot, but they only gave back terror.’ Hyunsu glanced over at him, her hair was tickling her ears as it started slipping out of the braid it was in. Her scrubbing slowed as she watched his brown eyes darken with a depth she never wanted to see, anger. ‘You aren’t happy that you’re gone from there, but you will be soon.’ His lips pulled into a hesitant smile as he looked at her, ‘trust me.’ 

 Hyunsu blinked slowly as she stared at him, he sounded like he was lecturing her so she timidly nodded her head before scrubbing the hide again. She still had absolutely no clue what he was saying. 

 ‘We actually make crafts with our parchment, we never showed the humans that. I’ll show you later, it will be like nothing you have ever seen.’ The previous negative glow of his eyes had been replaced by the usual excited glint. Hyunsu rolled her eyes and ignored him as she ran her fingers on the hide she had been scrubbing. She smiled as she felt the smooth surface beneath her fingertips. 

 ‘Now we put this on it!’ He picked up two bowls with a strangely coloured paste inside. ‘This will make the parchment white!’ He handed one to her then washed his cloth off in a small bowl of water then dipped it into the paste and started rubbing it against the hide. 

 ‘What is this?’ Hyunsu’s back straightened in pride at the happy look that flashed across Woohyun’s face at her question, she had asked it in Nymphean. 

 ‘Paste,’ he dipped a finger into it and wiped it off onto her nose. She could feel herself going cross eyed as she stared at the dairy smelling grey goop that was on her nose. 

 ‘Ew,’ she wiped the goop off with her cloth then dipped it into the bowl again started rubbing the paste against the hide. 

 ‘What? No rebuttal?’ Woohyun stared at her with narrowed eyes as he watched her continue working. ‘She must be planning something…..’ Woohyun was used to the competitive nature of his brothers and by now there would have been a full fledged paste fight, then they would have gotten thrown out of a public working place. Again. 

 Hyunsu stopped and looked over at him before frowning, he leaned closer towards her and tilted his head as he looked into her eyes as he tried to determine if she was planning something. ‘What?’ She scoffed then rolled her eyes and started working again. She would never understand the Fae, for all she knew he could have been initiating some bizarre right of passage. 

 ‘So you’re the planning type are you?’ He nodded and scrubbed the paste into the hide. ‘L is as well, most of us are spontaneous, Dongwoo is the most spontaneous. But the plans he creates are still clever.’ Woohyun nodded to himself somehow not bothered by the fact that he was just talking to himself. 

 ‘What would happen if I just ran away again?’ Hyunsu dropped the cloth into her bowl and looked at him. ‘What is going to get me killed?’ 

 ‘What?’ Woohyun’s eyebrows raised, almost completely hidden by his bangs. ‘What are you saying? What are you asking? What are you planning?’ 

 Hyunsu sighed heavily, and stared at the hide that was absolutely covered in the paste, ‘communication is useless, You’re useless, I’m useless, life is useless!’ She sighed again and dropped her chin on her palm as she rested her arm on her knee. 

 ‘Right….’ Woohyun looked around the area before grimacing, Dongwoo was nowhere to be seen and she was entering some kind of a depressive stage. ‘I can handle this, Yeonjung,’ he raised his hand over her shoulder awkwardly. 

 ‘Yes?’ She tilted her head to look at him before sucking her breath in through her teeth in aggravation, she had responded to that name automatically for the second time that day and she had only just gotten it yesterday. 

 ‘Let’s have some fun!’ He dropped his hand onto her shoulder before jumping up to his feet. ‘We can finish the parchment another time. No better cure for negative energy than surrounding yourself with the good energy!’ Woohyun extended his gloved hand towards her, without a moment of reluctance she grasped his hand and let him assist her with getting up. ‘Or not,’ he trailed off as his shoulders slumped at the sight of his brothers. Hyunsu followed his gaze to his brothers who were staring at the two of them. 

 ‘What kind of trouble are you causing, brother?’ Sungjong frowned and pulled a small cloth out of his pocket, dipped it into a clean bowl of water then wiped the dried paste off of her nose. 

 ‘I’m not causing trouble,’ Woohyun slung his arm around Sungjong’s neck and started rubbing his knuckles into the top of his younger brothers head. 

 ‘Yah! Yah!’ Sungjong dropped his cloth onto the ground as he grasped Woohyun’s arms then dropped into a crouch, using the momentum to throw Woohyun over his shoulder. Hyunsu’s mouth dropped in surprise as she watched Woohyun grin, suddenly looking more at ease than he had previously. Woohyun charged at his younger brother and leaned down, wrapping his arms around the younger’s waist so he could slam him into a tree. 

 ‘W-wh- they’re fighting! Aren’t you going to stop them!’ Hyunsu stared at Sunggyu who avoided her gaze and watched the two fight. Language barriers were no issue in this situation, body language was more than enough. Hyunsu was shocked the two were fighting, but it was normal for the Fae to play fight. 

 Hyunsu flinched as she watched Sungjong jump, pressing his shins into Woohyun’s chest before swiftly kicking his legs out making Woohyun stumble back, as Woohyun charged towards him Sungjong pressed his booted feet against the elders chest, pressed his back against the tree then used the force to kick Woohyun, sending him sprawling to the ground. 

 ‘Wooo! Go Sungjong!’ Sungyeol ran towards Sungjong and entwined their fingers before laughing at Woohyun who was pushing himself off of the ground with a grin. 

 ‘Alright, you won,’ laughing Woohyun knocked his shoulder against Sungjong’s before looking at Hyunsu and winking. 

 ‘Now that you two are finished,’ Sunggyu’s eyes drooped as he looked away from Woohyun, ‘a storm is coming,’ he looked up at the leaves overhead, his keen eyes catching view of the clouded sky through the small gaps. ‘We must prepare,’ he looked at the hides that were drying, ‘Dongwoo get her to your room, we don’t want her getting sick, she’s still weak.’ Sunggyu walked past Hyunsu without sparing her a glance. He ran his slender fingers down the wood of one of the trees before he rested his gloved palm against it, opening a large room contained within the tree. ‘We must get all of the hide and supplies into their designated rooms before it is ruined.’ 

 ‘On it,’ Hoya immediately walked towards one of the stands, nudging L as he walked by him. L followed after Hoya and helped him lift the stand before the two of them carried it into the room Sunggyu had opened. 

 ‘Woohyun stay with Sungyeol and help Hoya and L pack up the rest of the supplies. Sungjong, come with me, there is help needed elsewhere.’ 

 ‘Yes, brother,’ Sungyeol nodded and grinned at Woohyun, ‘I guess we should get to work then.’ 

 ‘I guess we should,’ Woohyun nodded and followed Sungyeol to a stand and the two of them started carrying it into the same room Hoya and L had deposited theirs earlier. 

 ‘Dongwoo?’ Hyunsu called out his name as he started walking away. ‘Where are you going? Am I coming?’ She watched with satisfaction as he scowled, annoyed with her use of the human language. 

 ‘Just get over here, larva!’ He snapped before turning around and walking away again. She ran after him, jumping over the gap to the bridge. Hyunsu bit her lip to restrain a prideful smile, she looked up at him and frowned at his lack of reaction. He hadn’t even noticed she had jumped over the edge so easily, he wouldn’t have cared either. 

 Hyunsu scrunched up her nose as she followed after him, she was going to escape tonight, whatever they were preparing for must be a good distraction. All she had to do was figure out how to open the door.

  
  
 

Every once in a while luck fortunes the few that it sets it’s gaze upon, and sometimes the people that luck decides to assist do not have the right motives. Luck had, that night, seemed to have set it’s sights upon the group of humans that dared to enter the forest. Hyoheon was leading the group of men through the foliage, their booted feet pounded against the ground, the crisp sound of twigs breaking sent the surrounding animals scurrying away.

 

‘Be quiet,’ Hyoheon growled out, his low voice echoed through the forest much louder than their feet had been. The stupidity displayed by the men scouring the forest for Hyoheon’s supposed love was noticeable, the Fae knew they were there but did nothing. The Fae were instead watching the humans wander the forest like trolls. The humans were not even comparable to the Nymphean children that wandered the villages set in the trees.

‘Where are they?’ One of the village members, the son of an esteemed elder questioned as he feebly grasped his sword. ‘Shouldn’t they be here?’ 

 ‘Be quiet, Taehyung, you’re going to curse us.’ Minhyuk, Taehyung’s cousin, snapped. 

 ‘Well then perhaps he should knock on wood,’ Zuko hissed. Zuko was reaching the end of his patience, the whole time he had listened to the boys scaring themselves half to death as they told stories of the Fae. The five young men had tied a strong rope to the top of the gate and climbed down the wall, once the villagers realised they were gone there would be trouble. But they were hopeful that they could return with Hyunsu. From the way the boys were acting he doubted they would make it any farther into the forest, everything would go to waste.

 ‘We must hurry, there are signs of a storm,’ Jinki rubbed his hands together, trying to ignore the unsettling feeling that was making his muscles tense. 

 ‘A storm’s good, it will help us keep cover,’ Hyoheon snapped. 

 ‘Not if it’s a monsoon, Jinki is right, we have to hurry,’ Zuko silently removed his bow from its quiver and hooked an arrow on it. 

 ‘What are you doing?’ Taehyung’s voice shook as he watched Zuko, only Jinki and Zuko had ever left the village so the other three depended on their cues, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

 ‘He’s just being careful, it doesn’t matter,’ Hyoheon hissed, there was no need for the attention to be on anyone but himself. 

 ‘No, he’s right,’ Jinki removed his bow from it’s quiver without making a sound. ‘I can hear something.’ 

 ‘I don’t hear anything,’ Minhyuk twirled dagger as he scanned the bushes surrounding them. 

 ‘You’re never going to survive with a single dagger,’ Zuko muttered not sparing a glance to the youngest of the five. 

 ‘I have expert aim, I have been practicing since I was a kid.’ 

 ‘It’s different in real life,’ Jinki stepped closer to Zuko falling in step with him.

 ‘What are you scared, Jinny?’ Hyoheon mocked. 

 ‘No,’ Jinki rolled his eyes then ignored the immature leader. Jinki had started turning so his back was almost against Zuko’s as they walked in synchronisation. Unlike the other three boys they were covering all angles possible, and they were right to. A small group of Fae had heard the boys coming before they were even halfway across the field and now, they were surrounded. 

 ‘Wimps,’ Taehyung stuttered out as his hands shook violently, making his sword swing from side to side. 

 Zuko froze and crouched to the ground as the sound of thunder cracked through the forest. At the same moment as thunder he let loose an arrow just as a pitch black one mutely whistled through the air before impaling Taehyung’s chest, the sound gone unnoticed by it’s perfectly timed shot. 

 ‘They’re here,’ Jinki rolled his shoulders and scanned their surroundings as he dropped to the ground, matching Zuko’s height. 

 ‘What are you doing! We have to run!’ Hyoheon screeched as he stared at Taehyung in shock. 

 ‘It’s too late for running,’ Zuko flexed his fingers before he grabbed another arrow. ‘We’re surrounded. 

  
 

 ‘Dongwoo?’ Hyunsu pressed her ear against the door a moment after the thunder shocked her out of her sleep. ‘Dongwoo?’ She raised her voice as she started running her hand along the wood, trying to find the pressure point to open the door. ‘He’s not here,’ she breathed out softly in relief as she started pressing on the wall randomly. Her mouth fell open in shock as the door clicked, opening. ‘I can get out,’ she gulped and stuck her head out of the door slowly before looking around at her surroundings. ‘Nobody is here,’ Hyunsu stepped out of the room timidly before pressing the door shut. As soon as she left the comforts of the room she could feel the humid air pressing down upon her. ‘There must be a monsoon coming,’ she shook her shoulders as if trying to shake the building pressure off of her. It was most certainly not wise to be caught in a monsoon, no matter the species. But it most certainly was worth it for her. 

 ‘I’m getting away from here,’ she walked towards the edge and jumped onto the bridge then gripped a vine and started sliding down it as slowly as she could. At the end of the vine she was still far off the ground so she let herself drop into the thick branch directly before her. ‘You can do this, if you fail you’ll die. Dying is not good,’ she looked down at the ground, trying to steady her shaking breathing. In order to get down she had to somehow drop perfectly down onto three more branches. ‘Survival is key,’ her head was spinning as she stared at the next branch she had to get to, ‘survival is key.’ She dropped down, her eyes widening in terror as she missed the branch. 

 She gasped in pain as she fell onto a branch further down. ‘Still alive,’ she managed to say in between gasping breaths. ‘I’m still alive,’ she closed her eyes and waited till her breathing steadied before she pushed herself up. She looked at the distance between her and the ground, all she had to do was drop and she would be there. Gulping she closed her eyes before slowly opening them and jumping. Her feet hit the ground first, sending waves of pain up her leg, ‘alive, I’m still alive.’ 

 The moment Hyunsu stood up she could hear the rain pounding on the leaves above her, the sound sent her body into a fearful shake. ‘The moment I get out of here I’ll be sane.’ She rubbed her gloved hands together as she scanned the surrounding area, the rain was already started to reach the ground, dripping infrequently onto her head. She jumped in surprise as she heard the bushes rustling behind her, immediately she gripped the knife that was given to her and held it awkwardly with both hands as she tilted the edge towards the bush. 

 ‘I don’t want to go back,’ she could feel her eyes watering as despair started to well up within her. ‘I don’t want to go!’ Hyunsu breathed in shakily then ran, she ran as fast as she could. She was past the point of caring where she went, there was no specific path, she just wanted to go, she wanted to be home. She could almost feel the dusty path of the village beneath her feet as she slipped on the moss, and hear the sound of yelling at the tavern which blocked out the cacophony of the odd creatures hidden in the trees. 

 To be home, it seemed improbable, impossible, but it was what she wanted. Hyunsu tripped over an erected root of a tree and collapsed against the ground. The moist dirt stuck to her cheek as she pushed herself up, coughing out a leaf she had gotten in her mouth. Hyunsu roughly scraped the dirt off of her face with a groan of disgust. ‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu frantically started patting the ground as she tried to find her knife, she dropped it when she fell. ‘Yeonjung!’ He was getting closer, she had to get away before he found her. Would the monsoon stop him? Was it raining enough to hide her tracks? Hyunsu could feel the rain running down her face, making her bangs that had escaped the braid stick to her face, however, it was hardly falling hard enough to make mud. 

 She stopped breathing, she had found it, as the relief wore off she started breathing again. It hadn’t occurred to her that finding it was useless if she was going against a Fae. Hyunsu wasn’t incapable of using knives, she had actually taken her free time to tossing knives with Minhyuk. Both of them wanted to leave the village and both couldn’t leave so they banded together to get over boredom. Unlike Hyunsu who was banned from leaving because of being a female, Minhyuk was banned because of who he was, he was the son of a halfling so the village feared that if he left he may turn to the other side. 

 ‘Yeonjung!’ Hyunsu shot up, fumbling with the knife. She could almost recognize the Fae calling for her, she knew once she could who it was that it would be too late. She had to go, somehow make it out before he caught up, she had to get home. She could hear the sound of branches rustling as the Fae dropped from his overhead position. Hyunsu threw the knife then ran, she didn’t check to see if it hit it’s target or even who she hit. She could hear her ragged breathing amplified in her ears as she ran, could he hear it too? Would he be able to follow her by the sound of her breathing alone? 

 Hyunsu’s heart seemed to pound with the same intensity that fueled her thoughts, once she got home she could relax, she could put the hardships behind her. The world spun, it felt as if someone had just forced the air out of her, put the hardships behind her? It was hard being with the Fae, she didn’t understand what they said, their customs made no sense, but she had hardships at home. At home she had a fiance she never wanted to see, she constantly had to pretend to be someone else, and she had no freedom. But it was home, it was what she wanted. The Fae were not humans. The Fae didn’t understand her, not like her family does, not like humans do. She didn’t belong with the Fae, but did she belong at home either? 

 Hyunsu’s running faltered, where did she truly belong? If she got home would she truly be happy? She didn’t have time to ponder her question, she had found a clearing, a clearing that would change her perception of the whole situation she was in. Within the clearing contained five humans, her brother was one of them. Her eyes burned with relief she could make it out with them. But she didn’t move, it was as if she had been charmed, turned into a statue. She could only watch as Zuko barked out orders, grabbing Taehyun’s limp body that had multiple arrows jutting out of it. Seeing Minhyuk forcing down his tears over his wounded cousin didn’t make her cry out to them, and seeing Jinki forcefully push Hyoheon who was frozen with terror didn’t make her want to reach out her hand and catch Jinki’s watchful eyes. 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ when Sunggyu placed his hand on her shoulder the spell broke, and her along with it. Why didn’t she call out? Why wasn’t she trying? She could only watch with quivering breaths as her only chance of leaving disappeared into the bushes. 

 ‘Why?’ Hyunsu, locked in her own troubles, missed the comical widening of Sunggyu’s eyes. She had spoken in Nymphean and she didn’t even know it. 

 ‘I don’t know,’ Sunggyu took off his coat, sliding it onto Hyunsu. ‘I don’t,’ he was shocked himself, not just for her speech but because she didn’t run to them. He had watched her stop just outside the clearing he could feel the pressure of her emotions that swirled around her, and he knew that she had run off to go home but she had stood at the edge of freedom, frozen. 

 Hyunsu blindly grasped the edges of his coat and wrapped it around her tighter, ‘I don’t know,’ she repeated his words slowly with a peculiarly calm mumble. ‘I don’t know what-’ her words got caught of by lack of vocabulary before she let out strangled cry and pressed her gloved hands to her eyes to try and stop the tears that started flowing, mixing with the rain that was fell heavily upon the forest. 

 Wordlessly he placed his hand on her head then hugged her, ‘you’re with us now, please don’t run anymore.’ Hyunsu sniffled and weakly wrapped her arms around him, who was she now that she denied herself of her freedom? What did that say about her? 

 ‘Brother?’ Sunggyu looked up lethargically, his eyes immediately caught sight of Sungyeol who was staring at the two below him with a confused apprehension. 

 ‘Go make sure they don’t come back,’ Sunggyu mouthed to him before looking down at Hyunsu to ensure she was okay. He let out a silent sigh of relief, he could hear her breathing slowing as she calmed down. 

 ‘Of course,’ Sungyeol nodded, affirming his brother’s command before running towards the edge of the forest. He would do more than just ensure that they would never come back. 

 ‘Don’t do anything stupid,’ Sunggyu’s whispered utterance caught Hyunsu’s attention causing her to look up at him with wide eyes that glistened with tears. ‘Let’s go back,’ he smiled restlessly as he gently wiped the last of her tears off of her cheeks. She nodded her head slowly before her lips twisted into a guilt ridden grimace. 

 ‘I’m sorry,’ she reached out to his ear and hovered her fingers over the cut. The startling red blood was mixing with the rain and dripping down to the ground in small pink droplets. He pulled her knife out of his belt and held it out to her. ‘Why?’ He wordlessly grasped her hand, pulling it away from his ear before pressing the hilt into her palm. Sunggyu watched as her shaking hand pushed the blade into it’s designated place, the sheath hanging on her belt. ‘I’m sorry,’ the Nymphean phrase was spoken incorrectly but Sunggyu could recognise what she was saying, she was apologising. 

 Sunggyu’s lips tugged into an amused smile as he ruffled her wet hair, ‘don’t be.’ It really meant nothing to him that she hurt him, she was defending herself and he was used to be the object of people’s frustration. All it did was remind him to be more vigilant, and to make sure that Hoya properly trained her. Her aim was terrible. 

 ‘Let’s go,’ she walked by him mimicking the words she heard spoken by Dongwoo so frequently. 

 ‘Let’s go, indeed,’ Sunggyu grinned and laughed, his laughter sounded beautiful to Hyunsu. Hearing the vocalisation of his emotions reminded her of the stories she heard of the Nymphs, who the Fae were meant to be. Instantly she could see formless bodies singing and laughing, being merry as they danced within the forest they thrived in. Her imagination provoked the formless Nymphs to reach out to the human travellers that happened upon them. Instantly they were welcomed into the fold, dancing with the ethereal spirits. 

 But when her eyes opened she was reminded of the truth, that did not occur anymore, the humans had ruined it. The vision that played within her minds eye warped with her realisation, she could see the welcomed humans tying up the Nymphs, dragging them away. She could hear the wordless cries of anguish that erupted from the pure mouths of the Nymphs. She could feel the anger of those leftover, and see a select few break from the group, turning into vengeful spirits. Hyunsu watched helplessly as the humans returned only to be slaughtered by the corrupted Nymphs, with one single pure emotion from a Fae she had envisioned the whole process that led his ancestors to the life of the Fae. And she felt sick. She felt so, so, sick. Her stomach twisted with disgust and for an instant, just one short moment, she was proud that she hadn’t gone with them. Because it disgusted her, they disgusted her, her own species made her ill. 

 Then it was gone. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

 ‘Look at her, just sitting there!’ Hoya growled in annoyance as he roughly ran his hand through his hair then clutched the black strands. ‘Does she not realise what she has done!’ 

 ‘She didn’t do anything, she was bored and went for a walk. Then she came back,’ Sunggyu placed his hand upon Hyunsu’s shoulder and lightly squeezed it. She blinked and tilted her head slightly as she continued staring out the doorway, watching as the rain pounded upon the leaves making their green tips warp inwards as they pointed to the ground. Then as the raindrops caressed the edge of the leaves they dropped falling to the ground, making the leaves bounce back to their original position only to have the process repeat faster, and faster, her head spun with the imagery before she shook her head and closed her eyes. 

 ‘We all know that’s not what happened,’ L sighed and rubbed his temple, grimacing at the level of noise that was flowing among the eight of them. 

 ‘She ran away and  he ,’ Sungyeol’s arm snapped out as he pointed his finger at Dongwoo accusingly, ‘was supposed to be watching over her!’ 

 ‘I’m not about to sleep in the same room as her, what was I supposed to do,’ Dongwoo’s lips pulled down into frown as he crossed his arms. ‘She wasn’t even able to open the door this morning.’ 

 ‘She’s not an idiot, you couldn’t have thought she wouldn’t have figure it out anytime soon,’ Sunggyu unknowingly mimicked L’s sign of aggravation as he rubbed his temples. 

 Hyunsu lazily watched the seven brothers interact, she was far too drained to do much else. Her lips quirked up in a small smile as she caught the brothers reacting the same to exasperating situations. She had always enjoyed watching the similarities between people, like how Jinki and Aeko both had a habit of leaning their heads back when they felt angry, as if they were physically removing themselves from the situation in order to do the same mentally. She could feel Hoya’s indignant gaze burning holes in her head. She doubted she would ever get on his good side. 

 ‘Really? Could have fooled me,’ Dongwoo winced as Sungyeol smacked him upside the head then stepped away from him and looked into the trees as if something was catching his attention. Rolling his eyes Hoya bumped Sungyeol's shoulders, not exerting any real force. 

 ‘What do we do now?’ Sungjong tapped the tips of his boots against the ground as he hummed a tune. 

 ‘She still needs to learn a few things, first thing in the morning Hoya will teach her.’ Sunggyu answered the youngest with a sharp tone, challenging anyone to oppose his decision. 

 ‘Alright,’ Sungjong dropped down off the table he was sitting on and started walking away. Sunggyu had his own way of punishing people, and clearly, he deemed Hyunsu’s actions worthy of being punished. Even though he was insisting so heavily she had in fact done nothing wrong. 

 ‘Larva,’ Dongwoo started walking away after his short call to her. 

 ‘Dongwoo,’ Dongwoo stopped and turned around to face Sunggyu. ‘Stay in the room and watch her tonight, make sure she actually sleeps.’ 

 ‘Yes, Brother,’ he nodded in affirmation, barely concealing his annoyance. 

 Hyunsu’s lips pulled together as she stared after him, it was annoying that he couldn’t even spare a few words to her. He always attempted to speak as little as possible to her, the only way she would be able to get anything out of him would be by learning their language. Hyunsu followed him, walking slowly as she ran through her vocabulary list mentally. She really didn’t know enough to speak to him, she momentarily wondered if perhaps there was some magic trick they could do to infuse her with their language. But really the stories she heard about the Fae doing magic could very well be fake. She had not seen a single spell nor charm been done the whole time she had been with them. 

 Dongwoo watched Hyunsu stomp along the bridge to his room, he couldn’t believe she had actually run away. Did Sunggyu have to knock her out? Was she dragged back? What happened? Sunggyu didn’t reveal any details, the only thing the six knew was created by their own assumptions. Sungyeol had said something about her almost running into the humans, was Sunggyu the one who held her back? He hated how he was left in the dark. Shaking his head he banished his thoughts, he could just ask Sunggyu after- with a heavy sigh he accepted his fate.

 Hyunsu, out of her own annoyance, ignored Dongwoo’s sigh. She could already guess what he was annoyed with. Obviously the burden of keeping the late starter safe was too hard on him, she sniffed and pressed her hand onto the bark of the door. She was unable to sense any difference between the strange doorknob and the rest of the tree but clearly she had done it right. The door slid open giving Hyunsu a sense of satisfaction, she walked into the room and sat on the bed. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Dongwoo stepped into the room the door closing behind him. 

 ‘What are you doing?’ Hyunsu questioned, she felt her lips pull into a proud smile as Dongwoo’s eyes widened. 

 ‘I-’ Dongwoo licked his thick lips then scratched the back of his neck still recovering from the question she asked in perfect Nymphean. ‘Just sleep,’ he walked towards the bookcase that was across from the bed and started looking at the books. 

 ‘Just sleep,’ Hyunsu mimicked him as she tugged off her coat and laid it down beside her. She leaned against the wall and stared at Dongwoo as he pulled a book off of his shelf then dropped onto his seat. 

 His eyes narrowed at his book as a sense of foreboding ran through him, he had a bad feeling that she was going to be a whole lot more trouble when she could speak fluent Nymphean. 

  
 

 Sungjong sat on a branch unravelling a thin bright red bracelet off of his wrist, when it came off his wrist it sent a pure chime through the air as the strands collided with each other. If Sungjong wore the chain as a necklace it would have reached mid chest. 

 ‘What’s that?’ Hyunsu questioned, quite proudly, in Nymphean.

 ‘Yuelao’s string,’ Woohyun picked at a golden chain that was wrapped around his own wrist. ‘Yuelao is the orchestrator of fate, it’s said the people who can master the chain can master fate.’ Hyunsu sighed, her mouth pulling to the right in dissatisfaction. She didn’t understand a single thing he said. 

 ‘Yuelao’s string,’ Dongwoo spoke slowly from behind the duo. 

 ‘Yuelao’s string,’ she repeated before going silent watching as Sungjong flicked the string with his thumb sending a high pitched note through the air. Hyunsu watched enthralled as Sungjong weaved the string through his fingers, every time he flicked the chain it would release a pure ting of noise and every time the threads rubbed against each other it released a pleasant hum. After a few moments of playing around he started pulling on the chain, warping it into multiple shapes as he plucked the strings. 

 It was beautiful, Hyunsu had never heard anything like it before. But she had seen it before, what he was doing looking originally like the string game, cats cradle. he managed to make music while forming rudimentary images in the string, she could see a snake, then a palm civet, and even a bird make it’s way across the string background as he played. 

 ‘Look how amazed she is, I can do better,’ Sungyeol huffed and frowned at Sungjong as L smirked keeping his thoughts to himself. 

 ‘Please, you couldn’t use Yuelao’s string if your life depended on it,’ Hoya walked up behind them then tapped Hyunsu’s shoulder. ‘Come on, lets start.’ He guided her to the middle of the clearing then pulled out his knife. ‘Get it out,’ Hyunsu hesitantly pulled the knife out, gripping the handle loosely. The knife felt uncomfortable in her hands, it seemed too smooth as if it would fall out of her hand the minute she moved it; she was amazed she managed to throw it at all the day before. 

 ‘Starting with the knife?’ Woohyun questioned as he watched the two in the middle of the area. ‘Shouldn’t she learn how to fight?’ 

 ‘She is learning how to fight,’ Hoya’s bottom jaw started to slide to the side as he refuted his brothers comment. It wouldn’t take long until all six were trying to control the session and telling him what to do and exactly how to do it. 

 ‘I think she should learn how to use throwing picks,’ Sungyeol beamed as he patted the pouch that held his beloved throwing needles. When he was young he was always stuck making clothes so eventually, being the easily bored child he still is, he learned how to throw the needles and utilise them as a weapon. Since then his overly precise aim was used to attack whatsoever he wished with his thin picks. 

 ‘Those pathetic needles you use? Please,’ Woohyun waved his hand dismissively at Sungyeol, ‘she should be learning how to use a bow and arrow, that would be more natural.’ 

 ‘Bow and arrow? Our brother is known for his hand to hand combat skills, so obviously that’s what he should be teaching her.’ Sungjong piped in, still playing his favourite instrument. 

 ‘Or the sword,’ Dongwoo added in. 

 Hyunsu watched the brothers talking, completely ignoring her. Being unable to understand a word of their speech she resorted to lifting the knife, testing it to determine the difference between it and the ones at home. For one it was much lighter, she lightly pressed her thumb against the blade testing how sharp it was. It really was an amazing knife, the blade was sharper than any of the ones at home had been, however, the handle was really too much. Rubbing the slick wooden handle of the knife it slid in her hands easily without the copious amount of sweat that made knives so slippery when used in dangerous situations. 

 ‘Will you all leave me alone?’ Hoya rolled his eyes ignoring the advice his brothers were offering him. He appreciated their opinions, he just wanted to get the whole thing over and done with. 

 Hyunsu scanned the area, immediately catching sight of the targets at the edge of the wooden balcony they were on. She raised her arm and practiced the motions of tossing the knife a few times. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she started to adjust her movements to make up for the amount the handle was slipping in her hands. Sucking in a breath of the moist forest air around her she breathed out again, steading her nerves. Keeping control was important, nodding to herself she went through the motions necessary for throwing the knife, releasing it she watched as it flew the air then imbedded in the wooden target with a soft thump. 

 ‘I don’t know, I still think the bow and arrow would be more appropriate,’ Woohyun mused remaining oblivious to Hyunsu’s successful efforts with the knife. L stared at his brothers with raised eyebrows before scoffing quietly, he wasn’t surprised they had remained oblivious to her activities. They always seemed to tune others out whenever they get involved in something, it wouldn’t be long until they started fighting with each other. 

 L pulled her knife out of the target and walked towards her before mutely showing her how to properly hold the knife. Hyunsu nodded and adjusted her hold, whereas previously she was gripping it as tight as she could, as if she was tugging on a rope, he had shown her to hold it a little bit looser. He adjusted the way she held the knife so her thumb was running up the hilt, and her other fingers were curled lightly around the base. ‘Now try,’ he whispered in her ear. L stepped back and watched her practice throwing again. His gaze flickered to where his brothers were still arguing, ignorant of everything but themselves. 

 Just before Hyunsu threw the knife he stopped her by holding out his hand. L patted her left leg and motioned for her to put it in front of her body then motioned to do the opposite for her dominant leg, the right. Then he took her arm and gently copied the motion she had been doing previously. When she practiced throwing again he physically guided her, stepping back he watched her practice then nodded when she looked to him for approval. 

 Nodding stiffly to him Hyunsu practiced a few more times before throwing the knife. It pounded into the target closer to the middle than before. 

 ‘Good job,’ Hyunsu beamed at Sunggyu’s praise. She wasn’t surprised anymore that he had come out of nowhere she was trying to accept that she just wouldn’t be able to hear them approaching. 

 ‘Good job?’ Sungyeol craned his neck so he could see around Hoya’s strongly built frame. Instantly his keen eyes caught view of the dagger that was imbedded in the target. A small grunt escaped his lips as he rolled on the balls of his feet, looking back at Hoya. 

 ‘What was it?’ Hoya didn’t bother to look, instead he had his arms crossed across his chest. 

 ‘Nothing, L was just throwing knives around.’ 

 ‘Alright,  L why not you throw again,’ Sunggyu handed his knife to Hyunsu and nodded to the target. Now try,’ Woohyun stepped away from his brothers, curious by Sunggyu’s flat tone. His eyes narrowed as he focused on Hyunsu who drew back her arm in the proper fashion before continuing in the throw, releasing the knife just a little too late. The result, he was surprised to find, was she hit the target closer than she had before. However, she was still not that close to the center. 

 ‘She’s throwing it too late,’ he walked to the target and pulled out the two knives before marching over to them prepared to help in their group training session. 

 ‘I was thinking that as well,’ L nodded and pulled out his own knife, he tapped Hyunsu’s shoulder so she watched him. ‘You,’ he pointed to her, ‘throw like this,’ he mimicked the way she threw the knife. Hyunsu stared at him, tilting her head curiously. She must have been throwing her knife wrong but she didn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing, she had always done it that way. His eyes drooped as he caught onto the blank look on her face, ‘no, you’re doing it wrong.’ 

 ‘I am not!’ She huffed ignoring the annoyed looks that flashed across their faces at her use of the human language. Neither Hyunsu nor L found it strange that they could decipher the others words despite the language barrier.

 ‘You are, do it the way I show you,’ he mimicked throwing like her before stopping and pointing at her, ‘you do it like this.’ He mimed throwing it properly and stopped sooner, ‘release here.’ Reluctantly she mimicked him and nodded when she caught on to the focal point of his lesson, she was releasing too late. ‘This is how it should work,’ he mimed throwing it right then threw it properly. Hyunsu’s eyes widened as she watched the knife cut through the air, imbedding itself in the center of the target almost instantly. 

 She laughed and pressed her palm to the side of her head, she was never going to succeed. They could not expect her to actually be as good as them, they were superhuman and she was simply human. ‘Why’s she laughing?’ Sunggyu frowned and crossed his arms. 

 ‘Maybe she went mad,’ Woohyun watched as Hyunsu breathed in deeply, a scornful smile still implanted on her lips as she practiced throwing the same way L had shown her. 

 ‘She thinks its impossible,’ L smirked as he watched the knife imbed itself inches from the center of the target. He felt it amusing that she imagined that she was incapable of matching their skills. When they were done with her, not one of the humans in her old prison would be able to recognize her, and if they did well enough, she wouldn’t want them to. 

* * *

 

 

‘What happened back there?’ Jinki brushed his soaked hair out of his face as he leaned against the wall of the village.

‘I don’t know,’ Zuko dropped onto a bench that was pressed up against the wall. His face was twisted in confusion as he stared at the mud, watching as the rain pounded into the brown mixture.

‘Well you’re here, that’s good.’ Jinki shook his head sending water everywhere, Zuko scowled and wiped the droplets of water off of his face.

‘But Hyunsu isn’t, look I think they are hiding something.’

‘Who?’ Jinki glanced around them before dropping down onto the empty spot beside Zuko.

‘My family, they keep,’ Zuko trailed off and rubbed his hands together. ‘They say weird things sometimes, it’s like they knew.’

‘Knew that she was going to disappear?’ Jinki flinched as the sound of thunder cracked through the air. He started shaking his leg gaining energy from the lightning that was brightening the sky.  

‘I don’t know, but my mother keeps saying things. Things that don’t make sense, and suddenly Sooki’s coming around a lot.’

‘Isn’t Sooki always coming around?’

‘Yeah, for Hyunsu,’ Zuko scoffed and ran his large hand through his long damp hair. ‘We talked with her but she was there for my sister, she always has been.’

‘How odd,’ Jinki ducked his head as the stared at the mud. The two went silent as they stared at the soaked village in front of them. Without the gate being open they wouldn’t be able to get the extra water out, their village could flood depending on how long the Monsoon was going to last. ‘Zuko, I thought I saw her.’

‘Saw who?’ Zuko rubbed his eyes scowling as the sound of rain made his head ring with the same ferocity that it hit the wooden ceiling above them.

‘I could have sworn I saw your sister,’ Jinki rubbed his hands together, making the mud that was on them spread into a thin layer. ‘But I couldn’t be sure, we were running, and,’ he grimaced, fully expecting Zuko to blow up, ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t, don’t talk about it,’ Zuko gripped his thin brown pants that hung loosely off of his thighs. ‘I don’t want to hear about it,’ Jinki's eyes focused on the bandaged wound on Zuko’s arm. The moist cloth was already showing the blossom of blood that was steadily leaving his wound.

Jinki clenched his jaw as he glared at the mud, he was angry, not only had they failed but Zuko wasn’t nearly as responsive to his mistake as he should have been and they had been at the mercy of the Fae. Clicking his tongue against his teeth he gripped his own wound that was nestled in the crook of his neck. He had barely dodged it, whatever weapon that Fae had thrown. He had no time to see it, the only sign he had was the strange warbling whistle it released as it forced it’s way through the humid air of the forest. Why had they survived? They should have died.

‘Don’t, Jinki,’ Zuko’s voice was heavy with exasperation as he pushed his palms against his soaked thighs, straightening himself. ‘It’s going to make it worse if you dwell on what happened.’

‘Am I supposed to be okay with everything that has happened? Why did that Fae let us live?’ Jinki’s shoulders shook with his repressed frustration as the memory of the Fae that hunted them down flashed through his mind with the same ease that the Fae had. ‘Why did I see her?’ Jinki could see the black form of Hyunsu in his mind, she warped and twisted like a ghoul in the shadows before disappearing when the Fae they had encountered stepped through her. ‘Why did we even go into the forest?’ His voice rose as he clenched his fists, the vision of the masked figure glaring at the intruding humans scent his mind whirling. ‘Why can’t we just be free of their oppression?’

‘Stop asking questions,’ for the first time in the whole conversation Zuko’s voice rose from it’s previous low and desolate tone. ‘Asking questions makes it worse, you don’t think I asked the same things? Why was it my sister that was trapped outside, why was her body never returned, is she even alive, why are my parents being so abnormal? When you ask those questions you open yourself up to disappointment, you leave yourself in a weak position. There is no way to answer those questions, so please for your own sake please,’ Zuko’s voice lowered into a pleading rumble, ‘stop asking.’

Jinki thumbed the cut as he closed his eyes, ‘fine.’ Sighing he nodded his head slowly, Zuko was right, it was useless. He should have listened to his younger friend earlier, he knew he was the wiser of the two but he forgot. He let himself get wound up in his own troubles so much that he forgot himself. ‘Are we going to at least answer what we can?’ Jinki opened his eyes and stared up into the sky, watching as the rain dropped in large blobs out of the ominous dark grey clouds hanging above their village. ‘You should ask your parents what happened,’ Zuko stood up and walked away, his boots sloshed through the ankle deep puddles of water as continued down the path.

‘Come on, I need you there with me,’ Zuko called out, not sparing a glance back to his friend.

‘Right,’ Jinki ran after Zuko, yelping as he slipped in the water and fell, his face hit the ground, instantly covered with the unpleasantly cold mud water.

 Zuko sighed barely hiding his grin as he reached out for his friends hand to help him up. ‘You’re lucky your clumsiness didn’t make itself known in the forest or else we surely would be dead.’

Scoffing Jinki grasped Zuko’s hand and stood with his friends help, ‘lucky? Maybe not,’ they walked towards Zuko’s house silently. They didn’t pass a single soul outside, every window was lit up with the burning amber glow of the fires running in the houses. Nobody wanted to get wet, being wet meant being cold, being cold meant getting sick, and sickness usually meant death.

‘When we get inside you can borrow some of my clothes, dry yourself off.’ Zuko opened the door to his house and wiped his damp locks off of his face as he watched his friend hurry by him to his room.

‘Zuko,’ his mother stood up from the couch she was sitting on, she grasped at her shawl pulling it over her shoulders tighter as she stared at him. ‘You’re finally inside, come and sit down by the flames. You need to get warm,’ Buyong waved him to the couch. ‘Do you want tea? What about Jinki, he’s soaked.’ She tsked as she hurried herself to check the pot that was on the flames.

‘Mother, please sit down. We need to talk,’ he held his arm out making her unable to go the rest of the way to the fireplace.

‘A-alright,’ she sat down, her eyebrows furrowing as she attempted to look confused but she knew what was happening. Buyong had been waiting for her son to approach her about her strange behaviour and she had been preparing herself but she felt so disastrously unprepared. ‘What about Jinki?’

‘I’m just leaving auntie, no worries,’ Jinki smiled politely at her before nodding at his friend and raising his fist in encouragement then he slipped out the front door decked in Zuko’s warm spare clothes. Jinki closed the door behind him quietly then stared at it’s wooden face. He was just was curious as Zuko was, he wanted to know what was up with Mrs. Nahm but was it appropriate?

Sighing he stepped away from the door and closed his eyes as he listened to the village around him, he could faintly make out the sound of Ae snorting in her pen through the incessant pounding from the rain. If only he wasn’t so upright he would listen in but he knew that wasn’t the right decision. He opened his eyes as a faint thump came from inside the house. ‘What’s going on in there?’

Jinki shook his head forcing his curious nature to end by dwelling on the Fae. Just like every other moment that day he ran through what happened the day before. He envisioned the forest as they ran through it, the strange sound, the sharp pain that failed as the weapon cut his neck only to whip past him and into the foliage with a silver spark. He remembered turning around horrified to watch a tall elegant Fae leap off the trees right in front of him, staring at him through the pitch black eyes of the mask. He could feel the pride for his friend as Zuko immediately leapt to his aid by grabbing Taehyung’s sword and pointing it at the offending Fae. He remembered watching the Fae’s head snap the Zuko before pulling out a thin silver stick of some kind. Jinki scowled as he watched the Fae pull back his arm, his pale forearm glistened as the rain ran down it soaking the black sleeve that was bundled at his elbow.

  It would be months before they could exit the village, he wouldn’t be able to enact his payback on the Fae until far more months after that. It could even been a half year until they could get Hyunsu back. His nose scrunched up at the horrible thought, by then who knew what could have happened to her, she was like his little sister, he felt like he was losing his own family. 

Jinki jumped as a loud thump emitted from the house followed by the door being yanked open by Zuko who slammed it shut. ‘Come on,’ Zuko was almost growling as he stormed by his friend.

‘Where?’ Jinki’s voice faltered as he watched his friend leave his house behind with a disgusted gait.

‘The tavern,’ Jinki’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at his friend completely flabbergasted. He couldn’t fathom what could have been so bad that his friend would seek out alcohol to calm his spirit but he did know that it was the first time that Zuko had ever chosen to do so.

‘You’re sure?’ Jinki spoke cautiously as he watched his dear friend almost slip in the mud from his lack of rational.

‘Or course I’m sure, I’ve never been so sure.’ Zuko sighed heavily before looking back at his friend, his dark green eyes were jaded the way that was only possible by realisation of the  horrible truths of life. ‘Have you ever wondered if your family was cursed?’ Zuko gripped the bronze handle of the tavern, ‘I’m starting to,’ he walked into the tavern leaving Jinki behind in a stunned stupor.

‘What could have possible been that bad?’ Jinki’s question was unanswered, heard only by the wind that blew through the village. 

## Episode 13

 ‘Yeonjung! Yeonjung!’ Hyunsu remained silent as she looked down at her journal but her lips curled into a small smile as she heard his voice calling out to her. ‘Sister, stop ignoring me,’ she could hear the pout in his voice as he threw his small arms around her neck. ‘You said we would play.’ 

 ‘Did I?’ Hyunsu’s tone was heavy with cheek as she placed her journal down beside her. 

 ‘Yeah!’ Astar let go of her neck and ran around so he was facing her, his usual shy smile was replaced by an outgoing grin. ‘Let’s play!’ 

 For the past couple of months she had a hard time learning the language, her annoyance because she was unable to learn the language disappeared after Sungyeol took her to where the children spent most of their time. There were barely any children in her village, only a couple of babies so she never had a chance to see how well she was with kids; it was a surprise to all of them when she clicked with the kids immediately. After a while the children continued to follow her around and encourage her to play games, teaching her more about the language then Dongwoo had. 

 ‘Alright, what do you want to do,’ automatically her hands found their ways to his cheeks as she greeted him in the Fae manner. 

 ‘Sungjong said he was going to teach me how to whistle.’ Astar puckering his lips the way he thought Sungjong did. 

 ‘So you want me to teach you how to whistle?’ She frowned wondering if Astar wanted her to teach him whistling, and what whistling even was, she may be able to communicate but she didn’t know everything in the language yet. 

 ‘No! We’re going to play hide and go seek! Come on! Everyone’s waiting for us!’ Hyunsu’s eyes widened as Astar tried to pull her up. She barely had time to drop the reed she used for writing before he pulled her out of the room. 

 ‘But my notebook!’ She looked back at the journal that was laying alone on the table she was sitting at. 

 ‘Don’t worry about it sister! Nobody’s going to read it!’ Astar chirped as he dragged her right past Sunggyu, Dongwoo and L who stared after the two. 

 ‘She’s going to be tired tonight,’ Sunggyu bumped shoulders with L before walking into the room Hyunsu and Astar had just run out of. It was usual to see the Fae children running around the village playing hide and seek, unlike in the human village where play was looked upon with deep frowns it was encouraged there. Especially because hide and seek taught the young children how to become invisible, use their surroundings to their advantage. 

 ‘The kids like her,’ L observed as he caught sight of the journal she was always writing in. 

 ‘She left her diary behind,’ Dongwoo walked up to her table and dropped down where she was sitting, ignoring L’s previous comment. 

 ‘What do you think she writes in it?’ L sat down beside his brother and stared at her notebook that was written completely in human script. Sunggyu shrugged and looked at her journal, his thin black eyebrows pulled together as he stared at the unfamiliar words. 

 ‘I don’t know,’ Dongwoo pinched the pages with a frown, ‘where did she get this notebook from?’ 

 ‘I don’t know,’ L shrugged and looked over Sunggyu’s shoulder as he started flipping through the pages. ‘Should we be reading this? Don’t Nymphs hate people touching their stuff?’ 

 ‘She was raised by humans,’ Sunggyu stated as he stopped at a random page. It was as if he was saying that being raised by humans made her any different from other Nymphs, it didn’t. No matter the gender or species not one soul enjoyed having anyone reading their secrets without permission. He narrowed his small eyes into slits as he attempted to read the paragraph. 

 ‘What does it say?’ L blinked slowly as his lips pulled into a small smile, he knew full well his older brother could not understand a single word, despite pretending that he could. 

 ‘Can you read it?’ Dongwoo leaned towards them trying to look at the book. He could feel his chest tighten as he stared at the book, he wanted to treat the late starter better but he, along with his brothers, felt conflicted about it. Hyunsu tried to fit in but they all knew she was holding back, they knew she didn’t trust them, didn’t want to be apart of their world. The truth was in that book, he just knew she would profess her longing for the human world. If she ever got back to the human world she would never come back, she would break the hearts the young Fae children that she was always playing with. Especially Astar, the young kid really liked her. 

 ‘No,’ L sighed and dropped his head so he was staring at the wooden floor underneath their table. L’s mind was going in the same place as Dongwoo’s, these were some of the dangers that encompassed taking in new people, sometimes they just couldn’t let go of the past. Was that for the best? Maybe, maybe she was meant to go back to the humans, maybe she was just meant to be with the Fae for a season. 

 ‘Maybe Hoya knows,’ Sunggyu muttered to himself as he lifted the book higher, bringing it closer to his face. Unlike his brothers he had faith in Hyunsu, he knew she was holding back but he knew something would happen that would bring her out her true self to them. Every chick had to fight their way out of their shell to prove they could survive in the world, it would be the same for her. In order to survive in the Fae world and to truly grow, she had to fight to get rid of her prejudices for her species, she had to fight so she would no longer be longer for the past. Those things were some the makings of her shell, and the sooner she knew that the sooner she could break free and mature. 

 ‘Maybe I know what?’ As if mentioning his name called him to the room, Hoya approached them then sat down beside Dongwoo. 

 ‘Can you read this?’ Sunggyu handed the book to Hoya watching as his younger brother’s eyebrows twitched together, making his forehead crease as he concentrated. 

 ‘I think, father taught me this writing, he said it was important for one of us know it.’ Hoya flipped through the pages, stopping to one passage she had made a few weeks ago. 

 ‘What did she write?’ L supported his head with his palm as he stared at Hoya. 

 ‘She’s wondering if they are coming back for her, she’s worried about some guy called Hyoheon.’ 

 ‘He sounds like trouble,’ Sunggyu flipped the pages then pointed at a random paragraph, ‘what does this say?’ 

 ‘This is her diary,’ Hoya frowned at it, ‘don’t you think this is private?’ They all looked at each other then simultaneously laughed and shook their heads. ‘Alright, I’ll read it.’ The all seemed to lack the common sense that came to touching other peoples things, if Hyunsu had caught them they would say it’s cultural differences but if that was true then the seven of them would have to have their own civilisation for themselves. 

Hoya went silent as he read the passage before nodding to himself and speaking. ‘She thinks she’s human, says she likes our village and apparently we can learn the human language using her journal.’ Hoya’s eyebrows rose as he started shuffling through the pages, stopping when he came to her writing that described the sounds of Nymphean, which the two figured out quickly worked backwards as well. 

 ‘Human sounds weird,’ L licked his lips as he read it before saying hello in the human tongue. 

 ‘That’s not how you say it!’ Hoya straightened and smirked at his brother before saying hello in human, sounding equally as terrible as his sibling. L scoffed and grabbed the journal from him. 

 ‘Yeah right, I bet I know more human than you.’ 

 ‘Training sessions. You win I’ll teach her fighting and saving, you win you do both.’ L met his brothers eyes and they stared each other down. It was inevitable really that the two of them would strike up a bet, there was not a day that went by without them challenging the other. They bet with each other almost as much as they sought out completely uncalled for fights. 

 ‘You’re on,’ Hoya smirked and pressed his palm against the side of his younger brothers head. 

 ‘Be prepared to lose,’ Hoya patted his head, his smirk only growing as L stared seriously back at him, challenging him silently. 

 ‘Who’s going to be the moderator?’ Sunggyu frowned at the duo before looking at Dongwoo for ideas. ‘None of us know the human language so we can’t judge you guys.’ 

 ‘Yeonjung can’t moderate, then she would know we have been looking through her book.’ Dongwoo sighed and shrugged, referring to Hyunsu by her Nymph given name. They all nodded their heads in agreement, their very affirmations of his comments showed that they knew that she wouldn’t like what they were doing, but as long as they were curious they certainly didn’t care. 

 ‘I’ll give you a head start,’ L closed the notebook and handed it to Hoya with a smirk planted on his lips, fixing his brother with his serious glare, ‘you’ll need it.’ Hoya scoffed and dropped the book on the table, not saying a word to his younger brother. There was no point, he was confident he was going to win. 

 

 Hyunsu gripped the vine and tugged on it, she could hear the rustling of the leaves overhead with it she noticed the sound of uncertain footsteps on the branch above, the kid that was hiding up there was moving. Grabbing a branch she hoisted herself up with a sharp intake of breath, she hadn’t even noticed how little effort it took her. She would have been completely unable to pull herself up if she had tried to the first week she had come but after months of the boys forcing her to run circuits around the whole village she could do it easily. 

 The village was far bigger than what she had thought, it had at three levels and extended along the trees for a long ways. It used to take her five hours to run around the whole village, run the circuit of the first level, climb up, run around it, then climb up the next one. Hyunsu still hadn’t gotten to half an hour like what it took the boys but she had made it to one hour. She simply didn’t have the endurance yet, but she was getting better, she was well enough that she could beat the children easily. 

 ‘Sister,’ Hyunsu smiled when she heard Astar whine as she patted his shoulder, catching him. ‘That’s not fair, you always catch me,’ he huffed and crossed his arms following her to the central area of the village. Whenever they were caught the children went to the meeting area and played small games amongst themselves. 

 ‘That’s because you don’t hide well enough,’ she smiled as his nose flared and he puckered his small lips in distaste.

 ‘Next time you won’t find me,’ he nodded his head determined scowling as she ruffled his hair affectionately. 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu looked up to see L walking towards her, his fingers slipped through some of the loops on his belt. 

 ‘I will see you later Astar,’ she patted his cheeks before walking up to L. ‘Is it time already?’ L nodded and started walking with her so they could make it down to the ground level. Each of the boys took to teaching something about their way of life and L’s was teaching her how to scavenge for food. He had started teaching her stuff in the trees only recently he had started showing her stuff on the ground of the forest. She had a feeling that he wasn’t supposed to be taking her down there because of the annoyed look Sunjong always had planted on his face when L mentioned he was taking her down. 

  
 

Hyunsu gripped the branch she was sitting on tightly, watching as L stood silent on the ground his face covered by his mask. Her nose twitched against the soft fabric of the mask covering her own face. She was indistinguishable from the Fae beside her, if the humans saw her they would not guess it was her. That was the whole point, Sunggyu had sacrificed his mask for her hoping that it would keep any humans from seeing she wasn’t a nymph while she was out. It was too big for her, ending below her chin but it was interesting. She was fascinated with how she could see out the eye holes that were from the outside of the mask covered by a thick black fabric.

‘Yeonjung,’ Hyunsu tilted her head as she heard L call out to her, his voice barely reaching past her own ears, intercepted by the whispers of the trees around them.

‘Yes?’ She shifted uncomfortably on the branch she was crouching on, her thighs still ached from time to time from crouching but she ignored it. She had to if she wanted to be efficient. There was no way she could make her way around the forest if she had no arm or thigh strength. She needed to be able to use her arms to climb, and her legs to jump, Dongwoo made that much apparent with the amount he pushed her.

‘What does this do?’ L picked a flower, it’s petals seemed to cascade out of it in multiple bright yellow paddle shaped petals.  

‘Make your tongue numb,’ she smiled as she heard him scoff. He lifted her mask and stuffed the stem in her mouth making her glare at him.

‘What does it do?’ He repeated as he ignored her smacking her lips trying to rid her mouth of the bitter milk from the stem that was already numbing her tongue.

‘The milk can be used to heal,’ L stood silently listening to her speak, ‘the leaves are edible, the plant is of great use as a whole. The roots can even be ground to make a nourishing hot drink.’ Hyunsu spit out the chewed up stem on the ground and accepted L’s offer of his flask. The red clay of the flask was slick and cool to her touch as she pulled the stopper out of the top then drank the water inside. She sighed in aggravation as she felt the water move slowly along the dry numb crevices of her mouth. She swore she was allergic to some things but he always ignored her complaints.

L, like his brothers, taught things hands on. So whenever he taught her about the land around them, how she could scavenge for food and tea leaves he like making her taste them. Some needed to be cooked to be properly eaten so she was often left with the unpleasant after taste like the one she currently had. She tried to answer all of his questions immediately but sometimes she couldn’t help herself, then she found her mouth overflowing with said plant.

‘What is it called?’ L picked one of the leaves of the plant and started chewing on it, enjoying the bitter taste that filled his mouth.

‘It’s a dandelion plant,’ she handed him back his flask and he hooked it on his belt as he nodded in approval.

‘Do you hear many Fae myths?’ L gripped the chin of Sunggyu’s mask, pulling it back over her face.

‘No,’ Hyunsu shook her head and looked at the ground a strange sense of paranoia flooding through her as she considered touching the ground. She had been trying to follow all of the rules she could and one of the many was that no Fae was to touch the ground of the forest without first going through their coming of age ceremony. She had already done one in her village, but apparently it counted for nothing there.

‘Jump down, nobody will know,’ L’s smile went unseen behind his mask as he watched her shoes rub against the rough wood of the branch.

‘I thought you encouraged rules,’ she dropped her legs into the air, sitting firmly on the branch.

‘I encourage what is right for the time, all of nature has it’s rules. Things that remain constant forever, never bending despite the pressure of time, but other rules change over time.’ L lifted his bare fingers and lightly scratched the base of his neck as he spoke, ‘I doubt anyone would mind you touching the ground you came from.’

Nodding Hyunsu dropped down to the ground ignoring the inkling that his comment was as much a statement as an insult. The hidden reminder that she wasn’t one of them, that he and his brothers had not accepted her into their folds like their village had. ‘What is the myth about?’

‘Integration of cultures,’ Hyunsu watched him curiously as he led her through the heavy foliage of the land around them. ‘Do you know how two huldrefolk propose entwining their lives?’ The word Huldrefolk struck her again, no matter how many times they told her that the plural for their kind was in fact Huldrefolk her mind reinforced the human teachings that their species were called nymphs, but in fact only the females were.

‘No,’ she shook her head, their odd manner of speech registering pleasantly in her mind. Where the humans called marriage, marriage, the huldrefolk called it entwining. They saw the process like the binding of trees, how when their roots got too close they would entwine so deeply that it would be hard to tell where they melded. It seemed much more natural and enchanting to her, they made the process seem sacred, compared to the almost clinical view of marriage in her village.

‘They present each other with sacred gifts,’ L walked into a clearing, that held a river the same one she had been bathed in. ‘It’s said when the huldrefolk first came upon the land they were segregated by their elements. There were huldrefolk for the sea, mountains, forests, rivers, every area you could think of. But unlike today where each clan invites another into their land and is eager to blend first were secluded in the depths of their lands.’

Hyunsu sat down on a rock that was encroaching on the water, it’s flowing waters had already corroded a small gap into it’s base. Unlike her L had removed his boots and rolled up his pants stepping into the river with a sigh of relief. He removed his mask and set it by his boots before sitting down on a lower stone, enjoying the trickle of water that flowed along his pale feet. ‘Why were they secluded?’ She questioned watching him breathe out deeply through his nose, closing his eyes as he thought.

‘They were unaware of the benefits of integration,’ L said simply before putting his palms of the smooth stone top of the rock he was sitting on. ‘One day the daughter of the balancers came to the beach, as they did from time to time and met the son of the balancers from the mountains. The two got along speaking of their lands and cultures, amazed from the other accounts.

Over time the two became well acquainted and the young Nix started becoming infatuated with the young Nymph of the sea, but at the end of each visit he had to retreat into the caves of the mountains he came to.’ Hyunsu took off her gloves and ran her fingers along the top of the water, listening to L speak, ‘the Nymph retreated into the seas filled with a longing to meet the young Nix the moment he left her gaze.’

‘They fell in love,’ she looked up from the water waiting for his response. L looked into the water, his neck creasing before he lifted his head, showing off his sharp and elegant jawline.

‘You should hold your opinions until the end,’ he retorted before reaching his hand into the water and pulling out a rock. ‘In the days of old the Huldrefolk had their souls in objects that reflected their lands. The young nix came from the mountains so his soul was contained in a rock,’ L rubbed his thumb against the stone absentmindedly, ‘the young nymph came from the sea so her soul was contained in a clam. One day the nix out of great love and admiration for the nymph gave her his heart in a proposition of entwining,’ he tossed the rock to her and she barely caught it.

‘The nymph took the stone home,’ L continued as he looked into the water, ‘within moments of rubbing her fingers against it the rock crumbled into dust in her hands.’ Hyunsu’s eyes widened as the stone started crumbling in her eyes, ‘and in the middle was a beautiful jewel much like those that grew in his home.’ Like L had said there was a beautiful jewel left in her hands, she rubbed her fingers against the facets mystified that the object could have crumbled as it did to produce the same ruby coloured stones she only heard stories of.

‘The next day the Nymph brought her soul,’ what first looked like a stone that L had grabbed from the waterbed turned out to be a clam. ‘She gave it to the nix, keeping his jewel close to her heart. The nix left her with great joy waiting to see the beauty of her treasure. The moment he was safe within his room he started pulling at the opening of the clam.’ L rubbed his fingers along the clam, ‘but it would not open for him. But he continued trying until his fingers became raw and bloody from effort.’ Hyunsu’s eyes widened as she watched blood flow from his fingers, like crimson rain it fell upon the clam running down it’s deep crevices.

‘The nix truly loved the Nymph, so his soul was revealed to her with a single touch. His soul was so pure and loving that it shone like a treasure in her grasp. Yet the Nymph did not truly love him so her soul remained shut, to him. No matter how much she thought she was ready to entwine with him she wasn’t ready, and she never would be. When they met again the Nix gave her the clam, cleaned of all blood but never requested his jewel back. When the Nymph returned home she found her clam opened at the ease of a touch to show the shining pearl she looked at all her life.’ L went silent and looked at Hyunsu.

‘That’s it? Why did it open for her?’

‘The clam did not open for her,’ L rubbed the clam between his hands. Hyunsu blinked in confusion, it was a rock no longer a clam. ‘It opened for her village. Her heart was in her people, her life was for them. She was afraid to open to him because she thought she would have to leave her village, but if she had asked he would have left his clan for her.’

‘Did she give him back his jewel?’ L shook his head at her smirking at her confusion when the stone she held was only a stone as well.

‘She never returned his soul, instead she kept it by her heart for the rest of her life; forever regretting her inability to bare her soul to him.’ Hyunsu rubbed the rock as she stared at L’s fingers, surprised to see not a single cut upon his pale fingers. ‘Yeonjung,’ her eyes widened as she heard the light playful tone of his words. ‘Have you never heard of illusions? It is an essential part of story telling.’

Silently she dropped the stone into the water, a dusty pink blush colouring her cheeks as well as any rich humans makeup. ‘What is the moral of the story?’ She shuffled on the rock as L’s eyebrows rose.

‘I think you know,’ L ruffled his hair with his wet fingers, smoothing the flyaway strands. Hyunsu dropped the stone into the river trying to calm the anxiety that was welling in her stomach. She knew exactly why he told her that story, she was in their village, their world, yet she resisted it. The Fae really were showing her their soul and she refused to show them hers.

‘We don’t have very many stories back home,’ she patted her hands against the rock to a tune that only she knew. ‘They are all in books, we’re not allowed to read the books.’

‘Why?’ L frowned as he repositioned himself, placing his feet on the rock so that they would dry before he put his boots back on. For the Fae withholding books was practically a crime within itself, it restricted freedom and knowledge with they coveted. Books showed the world through the lenses of others, taught, as well as enlightened the mind.

‘Most of the books are owned by the Lord of the village, they are not available for public consumption. The only others are owned by my family, the blacksmiths, and the elders. None of the elders share, the family of blacksmiths are greedy and nobody wants to read the books my family has. The only people who reads them are in my family, most of the village is illiterate.’ Hyunsu shrugged and forced a smile trying not to show her annoyance, ‘Hyoheon, the son of the blacksmiths, used to try and bribe me with books. I hated it.’

‘Do you like the human language?’ L questioned.

‘I miss it, I think well of it,’ she spoke softly as she stared into the water. L looked past her into the forest as she spoke.

‘Nostalgic,’ Dongwoo walked into the clearing his mask firmly in place. ‘The word for that is nostalgia, you feel nostalgic about the language.’

‘Yeah, nos-tal-gic,’ Hyunsu pronounced the word slowly.

‘We are having dinner soon, Sunggyu made me the messenger,’ Dongwoo grabbed L’s boots and mask and tossed it over to him, not surprised to see his water loving brother by the water again.

‘If you stayed by Yeonjung like you’re supposed to then you wouldn’t have to play messenger,’ L pulled down his pant leggings then put his boots on before replacing his mask over his face.

‘If you guys hadn’t betrayed me I wouldn’t be her guardian,’ he snapped ignoring how Hyunsu rolled her eyes. As soon as she learnt the language Dongwoo spent all his time telling her that he was unwillingly shipped with her.

‘If you hadn’t left your mask behind I wouldn’t have needed a guardian,’ she retorted, quickly shutting her mouth as Dongwoo glared at her. She went silent as the sound of rustling and snapping of twigs emitted from behind them. 

 ‘Get up,’ Dongwoo hissed, Hyunsu listened to him and watched as both boys slid their masks over their faces. She followed suit and moved Sunggyu’s large mask over her face. They slowly followed her onto the branch, moving with the same lazy grace of the felines she had spotted in the forest. 

 L tilted his head as if trying to hear better, but Hyunsu couldn’t hear a thing. She could hear a bird calling, she looked at L with a start, that was him. She looked at Dongwoo questioningly, he ignored her, leaning forwards to get a better view of whoever was walking along the forest. The two Nix started climbing up the tree as a bird call emitted from further ahead of them. 

 ‘I-I don’t,’ Dongwoo shushed her, glancing down again before rushing up. 

 ‘You speak too loudly,’ L’s quiet whispers were barely registered. ‘Wait until we get back to the village.’ 

 The climb back was silent, it wasn’t a morose silence, more like one of reluctant acceptance. She felt left out, it was as if they had been waiting for something to happen and it had just started. But what? She had long since given up on the idea of her village coming for her, perhaps given up wasn’t the right wording, she felt it was more of an acceptance that she didn’t belong there. Through that understanding she had lost the previous passion for getting home, even if the idea still warmed her with eagerness, she did want to go back if she could, belonging there or not. 

 However, she had lost the confidence that they would come back for her. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Hyunsu rolled the edible leaves into a cylindrical shape before she started biting off parts of it, she had long since gotten used to the bitter taste. ‘It’s not fair,’ Sungjong sighed and rested his square chin on his palm, looking out at the night sky. ‘Why do you get to go to the floor?’

 ‘Because,’ Hyunsu tapped her nail against the wooden bowl they had laid out in front of them as she ran through her vocabulary mentally. Deciding she didn’t have the vocabulary to finish her joke, she changed to a sentence she could say. ‘I’m not supposed to going down there, am I,’ she questioned. She smiled in amusement as he snorted and rolled his eyes. He didn’t notice her sentence change, he never noticed when she made mistakes or changed what she was saying midway through. She had learnt so fast that sometimes he forgot she needed correcting. That was the magic of being fully immersed in another culture, it made learning the language a necessity. 

 ‘Of course not, my brothers are always breaking the rules.’ He sighed as he stared at the stars with a wistful glint in his eyes. ‘I wish I was old enough to go through the coming of age ceremony.’ 

 ‘I already had mine,’ She picked up one of the roasted acorns, running it in between her fingers. What had originally been a lesson in constellations and finding the north star became them chatting. They had already been up in the top of the trees for a couple of hours. In fact most of his lessons become talking, she hadn’t actually learned much from him. ‘I was sixteen.’

 ‘Really?’ Sungjong looked interested, yet as quick as he was to get excited he was once again looking annoyed. ‘Even the humans are considered adults after sixteen rings, why do I have to wait for twenty?’ 

 ‘Rings?’ Hyunsu frowned as she ate the acorn. 

 ‘Do you not use rings?’ Sungjong muttered, more to himself than to her. ‘Every year a tree grows it gains one ring, so we count someone’s age by rings. I’m nineteen rings, L is twenty rings, Woohyun, Hoya, and Sungyeol and twenty-one rings, Dongwoo is twenty-two rings, and Sunggyu is the oldest at twenty-four rings.’ 

 ‘Rings,’ she reached for another acorn, ‘you have strange counters.’ 

 ‘So do you,’ he shrugged, not bothering to ask her age. ‘I heard you measure things by cows.’ 

 ‘Cows?’ Hyunsu scrunched up her nose, the idea of it seemed foreign to her. There were not enough cows to count with either. They only had two cows and one calf in her village. The animals tended off to die off too quickly. ‘Why would we measure things in cows?’ 

 ‘L told me you did,’ Sungjong ate a berry, his face twisting in distaste from how sour it was. 

 ‘How would L know?’ She watched as he paused before huffing realising that L probably knew less about the human life than he did. 

 ‘They think I’m so gullible, just because I haven’t left the village yet.’ 

 ‘Yes you have,’ Hyunsu’s tone was light and singsongy as she grinned at him. She had taken notice of how he would casually slink out of the village, heading straight for the bottom level of the forest. 

 ‘Yes, I have,’ he nodded and looked up at the sky, seemingly just remembering that he was supposed to be teaching her something. ‘Sunggyu told me once, that a friend of his from another village ran into a griffin.’ 

 ‘What’s a griffin?’ Hyunsu asked as she looked up at the stars, trying to read the constellations he had taught her. 

 ‘It’s a creature that has the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion!’ Sungjong’s voice pitched up in excitement as he imagined the beauty of the beast. Hyunsu, however, was clueless as to what a lion was. She knew what an eagle was, she had seen enough of those lately but she had never heard of a lion. 

 ‘What’s a lion?’ 

 ‘It’s a feline, a cat, but it’s huge! They live very far away, in places that have far less rain than we do.’ 

 ‘I want to see a lion one day,’ Hyunsu stated ignoring the incredulous look on Sungjong’s face. 

 ‘Not a Griffin?’ 

 ‘I have a better chance of seeing a griffin than a lion, don’t I?’ She was quite right, of course, not that Sungjong would tell her that. Hyunsu would have to travel a far distance in order to make it to the land that the lions lived, yet Sunggyu’s friend had met a Griffon, that meant that they weren’t restrained to the same place as lions were, so she had a higher chance of running into one. 

 ‘I guess,’ he huffed as the corner of his lip dropped, he had forgotten that she thought differently than him. He supposed it was apart of what she was taught when she grew up with the humans. Sungjong and his brother’s had gotten used to the way she would make odd comments, that always ended up making sense later. ‘We should go griffin hunting!’ His excitement lit up his dark brown eyes, making the gold flecks in them stand out. 

 ‘Griffin….hunting?’ Hyunsu spoke the last word slowly, she had asked them what the word meant repeatedly but they had never explained to her what it meant. But she recognised it, she knew it from when she watched them attack the humans. She watched as Sungjong’s smile faltered, wavering as he debated what to say to her. 

 ‘Let’s go find one, hm?’ He grinned lopsidedly but his lips shook as if he was trying to keep his expression light to keep her from seeing his discomfort. 

 ‘Does it mean finding something?’ She asked as she pushed herself up. Hyunsu brushed her pants off, her fingers stuck to the rough spots of her pants as she ensured there was nothing stuck to them. She had stopped wearing the dresses they had for her after awhile because it was impractical, some Nymphs could manage but it was just troublesome for her when she still had trouble climbing at times, so they gave her the standard tight pants that most of the Nymphs and Nix had. It had taken her awhile to not feel as if she were being overly sexual with the tight fitting pants. But the pants were necessary, because the dress was more loose, it was impractical and got caught on things. 

 The tight fitting aspect of the pants wasn’t the only thing that was new to her, the pants had parts of it that was tough with a strange texture. Those rough spots were intended for the trees, it helped with clinging onto the bark as it prevented the legs from sliding down from the lack of friction with normal pants, it also ensured that tough spots on the bark wouldn’t tear clothes. Though Dongwoo’s pants had some tears in the front and he didn’t care, nobody really did. 

 ‘We aren’t going too close to the ground, right?’ Hyunsu chewed on her lip as she slowly walked along a narrow branch with her arms held out at her sides, trying to remain steady. She breathed in a deep breath, the earthy scent of the forest was becoming more therapeutic to her and was quickly becoming the scent that reminded her of home. She could barely remember what her house had smelled like with the humans. Had it been musty? What did musty smell like? Everything was fresh in the forest. Had it smelt like candles? What did the candles at home smell like? Did they smell like herbs or like flowers as well? 

 ‘I guess not,’ Sungjong shrugged before holding his hand out of her. ‘Do you want help?’ 

 ‘Help?’ Hyunsu stepped next to him, her shoulder pressed against his arm as they stood at the point that was closest to their village. From their close proximity she could smell his scent, he smelt to her like music. It didn’t make sense, she supposed, but he was always playing music. He had the faint metallic scent that came with playing the strange string instrument that produced music. And he had an almost spicy aroma like the scent of sap. It smelt familiar, and nice. What did her brother smell like? He couldn’t smell like sap, did he smell metallic as well? ‘I’m good,’ she grinned at Sungjong and stepped forwards letting herself drop until she hit one of the branches not far below them. One of her ankles sparked with pain as a thump made her aware that Sungjong had dropped down beside her. 

 ‘You need to bend your knees more,’ he tapped her knee as emphasis. ‘It helps to absorb the impact.’ 

 ‘Alright,’ Hyunsu nodded to show she understood then continued dropping down from the branches. As she fell, some small branches would hit her face making her sputter as she made there was nothing in her mouth, Sungjong usually just laughed at her as it was the most common thing for her to do. 

 ‘You just need to keep your mouth shut,’ would be his comment before he would continue on his way, laughing. 

 ‘Yeah, yet you talk the whole time,’ she muttered to herself before dropped onto the platform for the top layer of the village. Where the humans were always out in the day, thriving off of the sun, the Fae were always out at night, absorbing the light of the moon that leaked through small gaps in the foliage. There were always more Nymphs outside at night time and that much was true tonight as well. As they walked they were constantly greeting people they passed, it felt as if there wasn’t a moment that went by when her forehead wasn’t being kissed or someone wasn’t pressing their palms to her cheeks with a kindly smile and inviting salutations. It was nice, it was home. 

 A smile bloomed on Hyunsu’s face as she took in the night village, there were firefly’s buzzing around lighting the area up with a pale yellow light. She always wondered how they got so high up but no one told her how they got them up, she figured it was something she didn’t need to think about so she never asked. There were barely any fires, there were small pits in the middle of clearings but those were kept to a minimum and always watched by an older member of the Fae. 

 ‘Are we going to find a griffon in the village?’ Hyunsu questioned with raised eyebrows as she followed alongside Sungjong. 

 ‘No, I forgot how late it is, you should be going to bed,’ Sungjong smiled as an annoyed look flashed across Hyunsu’s face, leaving her with pouting lips and creased eyebrows. 

 ‘Why do I always have to sleep when things are getting more exciting?’ 

 ‘You still work like a human,’ Sungjong answered, his tone light with his tinkling laughter. ‘You need to sleep in the night, or else you will be tired and irritable during the day. Eventually you won’t have to worry about such restrictions, but until then you need to sleep at night.’ 

 ‘Yeah,’ Hyunsu huffed, not looking any more pleased with his answer. It was irritating that she worked so differently, it meant she missed so much of what happened and didn’t get to experience all of their daily lifestyle. Sometimes she wondered if that was the point, if they didn’t want her to know everything about them yet. 

 ‘Just sleep,’ Sungjong led her along the bridge that led her to Dongwoo’s room. She still hadn’t gotten her own room but she didn’t mind, Dongwoo’s room was nice. She opened the door and the familiar warm smell of it soothed her as she stepped in. ‘May your dreams enrich your spirit,’ Sungjong pressed his hands to her cheeks with a warm smile. 

 ‘And may the moon light your soul,’ she responded smiling weakly at him before she closed the door. Hyunsu pulled at the gloves on her hands off finger by finger until she could remove them, then placed them on top of the desk. Her fingers glossed over her journal, she was honestly too tired to write in it and was glad Sungjong had called the night off when he did, however, that didn’t make her any more pleased, she still wished she didn’t have to sleep as much as they did. 

 Her eyes fell upon the plants that were lining the window, she leaned towards them and breathed in their scents. The smell of the herbs sparked memories of her house at the village, they hung up herbs in their kitchen, so her house had smelt like herbs. Pleased with her deduction and strangely not bothered that she was already losing familiarity with the human village, she sat on her bed. She pulled her boots off and placed them beside the bed before laying down and snuggling into the mattress. Her eyes fluttered closed barely hearing the sound of singing in the background. The Fae were always singing or making noise of some sort, it was a soothing background noise that helped her relax. It felt like home with them. 

 

 ‘Yeonjung! Yeonjung,’ her nose scrunched up as she felt someone gasping her shoulder and squeezing it. ‘She’s not waking up.’ 

 ‘I’m tired too, brother. Maybe we should sleep too,’ the sound of yawning made her mind cloud over again and remind her that she wanted to sleep. 

 ‘Alright, we just won’t head out at all then,’ Hyunsu pried her eyes open to see L shrugging his shoulders and making his way to the door. Sungjong pouted before looking at her, she regretted not closing her eyes immediately because instantly his eyes lit up and he started smiling at her mischievously, making it clear that her sleep was not going to continue any further. 

 ‘She’s awake!’ At Sungjong’s exclamation L turned and smiled at her, his chin dipping in greeting. 

 ‘Good morning, Yeonjung.’ 

 ‘Good morning,’ Hyunsu sat up and rubbed her eyes with a yawn. ‘What’s going on?’ She asked drowsily. 

 ‘We’re going out,’ Sungjong handed her, her boots urging her to put them on. ‘Brother agreed to take us out!’ 

 ‘I thought we weren’t supposed to leave the village?’ She pulled on her boots, her fingers slipping and fumbling on the smooth leather. 

 ‘L never told you did he,’ Sungjong smirked as he looked at his older brother, though not by much, ‘he and I always sneaked out of the village during the rest period.’ 

 ‘I’m not surprised,’ Hyunsu stood up and caught her gloves that L tossed at her, pulling them on. L shrugged, not looking affected by her words at all, he seemed neither offended, nor pleased. Her eyes rested on the dagger she was given on her first day in the village but she ignored it, there was no need for a weapon. Nothing was going to happen. 

 ‘We’re heading down while the village is relaxed,’ Sungjong opened the door and practically shoved her and L out into the fresh air, ‘everyone is winding down around now.’ Hyunsu nodded before stretching her arms out into the air, breathing out as she continued stretching her body to wake it up. 

 ‘If we’re lucky Sunggyu won’t have caught on,’ L rubbed the back of his neck as his nose scrunched up. None of them knew how but Sunggyu tended to know everything that was going on, regardless who was involved or what was happening. He always said it was a talent that came from having so many burdens, but nobody believed him. 

 ‘What’s our excuse?’ She questioned as she stepped over the gap that used to send her shaking, and continued walking to the dropping spot. The dropping spots were named for what was done there, those were the places that the Nymphs used to get to the floor of the  forest because it had the least resistance in terms of flyaway branches. 

 ‘The official story is that I’m taking you to look at more plants,’ L remained unfazed when Hyunsu lazily attached herself to his back, laying her chin on his shoulder tiredly. Scoffing he adjusted her legs making sure she wouldn’t hurt herself on the way down, ‘lazy.’ 

 ‘You woke me up, you take me down,’ Hyunsu hadn’t needed their help for a while to get down, but from time to time she decided she didn’t want to and got one of them to carry her down. L was the only one that she grasped onto without warning, he was really the only one that wouldn’t react. She would never have dreamed of doing that at home, never. But then, nobody seemed to care here, she had witnessed Nymphs doing far stranger things to their male counterparts and it was considered normal. 

 ‘Alright,’ he nodded, seeing it as a fair trade. 

 ‘You never carry me down,’ Sungjong sighed dramatically before disappearing from view, making his way to the floor level.

 ‘Hold on,’ L leapt into down the hole without a second thought. Hyunsu’s breath caught in her throat as he grasped onto a branch and pressed his knees into the bark of a tree part way down before pressing his feet against the bark, focusing the pressure to his heels before using the momentum to push him away from the tree, dropping again. It was always more exhilarating when she was with one of them. Whenever she tried to drop down she always dropped from branch to branch, but they would freefall and catch themselves whenever they thought best. She was excited for when she was skilled enough to do the same. 

 L hit the ground moments after Sungjong, as soon as she saw the familiar nature covered ground she detached her limbs from his body and dropped to the ground herself. She sighed and smiled as she smelt the difference before the village and the forest floor. It always tended to smell more compressed and like soil closer to the ground whereas the village smelled more of sap, bark, and the flowers that were grown up there. 

 ‘So, who’s lessons do you like the best?’ Sungjong asked as they started walking along a barely noticeable path. 

 ‘I don’t know,’ Hyunsu smiled as both brothers sent her disbelieving looks. She enjoyed everything, she really did. Even Sunggyu’s etiquette training, it was just interesting. Well, maybe she didn’t quite enjoy Hoya beating her up and calling it fighting training, but it was still intriguing for her. 

 ‘Obviously she enjoys me teaching her the ways of the sky,’ Sungjong grinned at her, huffing when L’s lip curled in amusement. 

 ‘Teaching her about the sky, or blabbering about meaningless stuff?’ L retorted, Hyunsu smiled watching as the boys sent each other the same challenging look. The group of them did things that still didn’t make sense to her, and one of them was fighting. There was playful banting a lot of the time but sometimes it escalated into actual combat. It just felt so out of place to her when they fought that it sent her head spinning, but they always assured her that it was normal, and was their way of staving off boredom whenever it hit. 

 ‘What is, blabbering?’ Hyunsu looped her fingers through one of the loops on her belt as she frowned at them, not recognizing the word. 

 ‘Blabbering is,’ L frowned looking for the words to describe it. Something they had all realised was just how much knowledge about language was based upon feeling, not all words were easily defined and were usually described by themselves. ‘It is talking mindlessly, without meaning or aim.’ 

 ‘Oh,’ Hyunsu blinked owlishly as she thought through her lessons. ‘We blabber a lot,’ she smiled at him. 

 ‘Don’t look so pleased!’ Sungjong whined out, ‘it’s not good to blabber! It’s an insult!’ 

 ‘But it’s fun,’ Hyunsu frowned, her attention getting caught by the plant life that was around them. She found that as she walked she was recognizing plants L had shown her and she was mentally describing them and their uses as they went on. 

 ‘Oh, well, I guess she likes my lessons the best then,’ Sungjong beamed at L, though his smile was hidden by his mask, suddenly looking pleased by what was previous an insult. L, however, didn’t respond. Instead he froze, tilting his head. ‘What?’ 

 ‘Do you hear that?’ L’s fingers hovered over the dagger that was at his side as he listened to nothing that Hyunsu could hear. ‘Get back to the village,’ L frowned as he stared at Hyunsu, hissing something under his breath that sounded strangely like a curse to her. Her gloved fingers raised up to her face, touching her skin rather than the hard face of a mask. She didn’t hear it until it was too late, whistling filled the air, not like the sound the Fae made, but like a weapon. Next thing she knew she felt pain as an arrowhead burrowed into her leg. 

 Hyunsu cried out in pain and collapsed, her hands shook as she touched her leg, the black of her gloves glistened with her blood. She could feel her head spinning with pain as she stared at the shaft that was buried in her flesh. Sungjong was frozen with shock, he stepped back before he whistled, it was piercing and panicked, a call for help. 

 Sunggyu was going to kill her.

 Perhaps that wasn’t the most appropriate thought to have when she had an arrow buried in her leg, but it was the only thing that crossed her mind. She was sure he would be really and truly angry. L pulled out his dagger as two human ran at him and Sungjong stood frozen, only moving when Hyunsu felt someone grabbing her by the stomach, lifting her up. Her mind seemed to go white with pain as the arrow head cut into her skin more. 

 Fight, she had to fight. Hyunsu tried to dig her elbow into the strangers stomach, she tried to hit him with her good leg, but nothing worked. She could hear frantic words, the speech itched at her ears like a healing scab but she was too worked up to realise that she knew the language. Hyunsu shrieked as she watched one of the humans slam the butt of his sword into Sungjong’s head. She watched appalled as he staggered before turning to the human, hissing like an animal before he attacked him. The blacks of his mask where his eyes were focused on her, she watched as he ran to help, only to get tackled to the ground. Her shaking fingers went to her belt but there was no dagger hanging on them, she forgot it on Dongwoo’s desk. She didn’t think anything would happen. 

 There was a reason why they weren’t supposed to go to the ground, there was a reason why there was an age limit. They had ignored all of that, and were now facing the consequences. If they had stayed in the village they would have been fine, the humans would have passed by with no trouble until they were scared off by scouts. This wouldn’t have happened, they wouldn’t have been overwhelmed. She knew they weren’t weak, she knew Sungjong and L could take them on but the shock of the attack left them unguarded and there were so many. L could barely get them all himself while trying to watch Sungjong

 ‘Sung-’ She cried out, her voice cracking with fear for the youngest Nix as she watched a sword barely miss him. Hyunsu had barely stopped herself from calling out his name, they couldn’t know names, they couldn’t. The humans couldn’t know anything, they couldn't. Shock made her stop fighting against the person pulling her along, the humans? Since when had she referred to her people as such? Since when did she view herself separate from them? 

 ‘Yeonjung,’ she could hear L’s pained cry from where he was holding off four human men that were attacking him. He looked at her, she could imagine what he looked like behind the mask, his eyes shadowed with regret and disappointment, angry that he had failed to protect her and his brother. 

Sunggyu really was going to kill them, was her last thought before she felt a thump to the back of her head and her vision darkened to black. 

  
 

 Sungjong cried out in anger as he watched Yeonjung fall limp in the arms of one of the barbarians. Brandishing his dagger, he used it to disarm the man attacking him, growling like one of the lions he was talking about with Yeonjung. He then used the man’s sword to stab it through his stomach. His nose flared with his heavy breathing as the man’s blood spurted from the wound, warming his hand. Clenching his jaw Sungjong planted his foot against the man's chest, kicking him off of the blade. The left over men scattered, running as fast as they could for the edge of the border. Sungjong burst forward, crying out in outrage as he felt his brother restrain him, ‘let me go! Let me go! We need to save her!’ 

 ‘No!’ L grunted as he struggled to keep a hold on his younger brother. ‘They would have already crossed the border to the grasslands. We can’t charge in alone, just two of us? That’s stupid Sungjong.’ 

 ‘We don’t know what they’re going to do to her!’ Sungjong snapped as he elbowed his brother’s stomach, pushing away from him before pointing the dagger at his elder, threatening him to stop him. 

 ‘Don’t be a fool,’ L snapped as he threw one of the human swords he was holding to the ground. ‘She’s not one of us. They won’t harm her.’ 

 ‘Not one of us?’ Sungjong repeated slowly, disgust clear in his tone. ‘Then what was she when we accepted her into our family? What was she when we taught her our traditions? Was she a monster? An outcast? A failure? What was she if not one of us! What was she!’ Sungjong released a shriek of anger, and threw his knife as hard as he could at a tree. It was more than imbedded inside the wood. In fact, the handle was nearly invisible, buried far too deep into the trunk.

 Both brother’s felt a palpable change in the air as seven Nymphs walked in. It was clear where the dark foreboding energy came from. ‘What are you two doing down here,’ Sunggyu’s voice was low and screamed dangerous to everyone listening. The humans who were lying on the ground still coherent shuddered in fear at the sound of his voice. 

 ‘Brother,’ L started shutting his mouth as soon as Sunggyu’s head snapped to look at him. L felt like groaning out of annoyance when he noticed that Minhee and Miyoung had dropped down into the area, talking seriously with Dongwoo. The twins usually had their scouting trips with Dongwoo, and were known to be vehemently for the rules when it came to traversing around the forest. No doubt he and Sungjong would get scolded by them as well as Sunggyu, and their scoldings were always much worse. 

 ‘Where is Yeonjung? Where is she?’ Sungjong gulped, his fingers shaking as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t want to answer, he was scared to. He wasn’t supposed to leave the village, he wasn’t supposed to be involved at all. Yeonjung most certainly wasn’t supposed to be gone, and she was absolutely not supposed to be taken away by the humans. ‘She’s gone isn’t she?’ Sunggyu stared down at the human by him, his teeth grinding against each other. 

 ‘Yes,’ Sungjong nodded, wincing as Sunggyu removed his sword and stabbed it into the slowly dying human’s chest, making his writhing body freeze.

 ‘We had a duty, remind me, what was it?’ 

 ‘We were to protect Yeonjung, teach her our way,’ L answered, his hands clasped behind his back as he spoke. 

 ‘Tell me, was she allowed to be on the ground level?’ 

 ‘No.’ 

 ‘Was she supposed to be kidnapped by humans?’ 

 ‘No,’ L shook his head. 

 ‘But she’s not  kidnapped ,’ Dongwoo spoke up from his spot beside Sunggyu. ‘She’s one of them, she’s a human, she’s not kidnapped if they take her back. Good on her, I say.’ None of the Fae there needed to see Sunggyu’s face to know that he was angry, it was evident in his body language. His shoulders were perfectly straight and his fingers were flexing as he tried to control the rush of energy that was flowing within him. 

 ‘That is enough!’ Sunggyu glared at Dongwoo, the air almost crackled with the energy he was emitting. ‘You may have been reluctant to accept her but she is one of  us.  She is no longer viewed as a human. You have failed at every one of the duties I have set for you. You did not do your job of teaching her how to speak, instead you let her learn from children. You did not accept her into our folds, instead you made it clear that you thought she would never be one of us. 

 ‘You have not done your job as a son of the balancers. You have acted without grace or kindness, and allowed your superiority to cloud your judgement. You will have your own punishments, as will you,’ Sunggyu looked at L and Sungjong with obvious disappointment. ‘I would have thought you would be more wise with your choices. However, what's done is done. All we can do now is recover from it.’ Minhee stepped by Sunggyu who sent the rest of the two living human men disgusted looks before leaving. 

 ‘Come on,’ she rubbed Sungjong’s back soothingly before guiding him away from the spot they were fighting at as Hoya and Woohyun picked up the two humans who started weakly fighting against them. L sighed mentally in relief when he noticed Minhee being gentle with Sungjong, perhaps they wouldn’t get scolded later that night. 

 ‘Let’s give them a warning they’ll never forget,’ Miyoung hissed as she glared at the humans, her twin sister shot her a scolding look that was efficiently hidden by her mask. ‘Nobody takes one of our own without retribution.’ 

 

* * *

 

 

Her vision blurred with tears as she got carried out of the forest, she felt her heart ache as the person carrying her took her across the grass boundary between her home and the village. Her lips bled as her teeth bit into them when she heard the whispers of the villagers watching. The smell of the village repulsed her, it smelt of sweat, manure, and mold. No doubt the weather from a few months back had made some things rot, and that made the air sting her nose with it’s scent. The door to her house opened, she recognized the face of her mother, the woman looked ready to cry at seeing Hyunsu.

 

 ‘My baby,’ her words were light and shocked, she had clearly never thought the men would get her. Well, neither did Hyunsu. Hyunsu sucked in a breath through her teeth as she was rested on the table. She didn’t miss the appalled look of her mother’s as she looked at the tight-fitting pants. She didn’t miss the pained expression on her father’s face as he walked into the room, a knowing gaze focused on her.

 

 ‘She didn’t recognize me,’ Hyunsu closed her eyes as the person who grabbed her spoke, he sounded hurt. ‘Mother, she didn’t recognize me, she fought me, she tried to attack.’ The language sounded foreign to her ears, but she knew that she knew it. ‘What did they do to her?’ The more she heard the more the scratching language started to sound familiar and start registering in her mind.   


 ‘Zuko, stop complaining, get some poultice for her wound,’ her father’s voice was rough and demanding, it reminded her of Dongwoo when he was frustrated with her. What would he say if he knew? Would Dongwoo scold her? Scoff at her knowingly, insinuating that she planned everything?

 Hyunsu watched as her father gripped the shaft of the arrow before letting go of it, looking over at his son, ‘bite this,’ Zuko held a cloth to her mouth. With a stubborn shake of her head she refused the dirty cloth. Zuko’s eyebrows scrunched together as he regarded his sister nervously. She didn’t seem to be physically harmed, but he worried for her mind. She was acting so different, what torture could they have subjugated her to for all those months?

 He watched as his father tore the pants, shortening it to just above the cut, much to the horror of his younger sister. Zuko watched as his father pulled the arrow out of her leg with the ease of a healer who had done it many times previously. Yet, despite being so smooth, his calloused hands shook as he dropped the arrow onto the table, showing just how emotional the moment was for him. 

 ‘Get the bucket,’ Joonho waved his hand at his son, hurrying him. 

 ‘Yes, father,’ Zuko nodded, hefting the heavy bucket into the air with ease, placing it down on the table beside his sister he felt his chest constrict. He had never thought that he would have needed to use his knowledge of healing on his sister, at least, not in a situation like this. 

 The scent of lavender, and thyme melded with the nauseating scent of blood as Joonho gently washed his daughter’s wound with the herb infused water. As he was used to the sickening smell, he worked steadily, mentally documenting his daughter’s lack of reaction as he pierced her skin with the needle he used to stitch skin together. Unlike her family, Buyong watched with a pale face, looking faint as she watched her husband work on her daughter.  

 Hyunsu sucked in a deep breath as her father lathered a poultice on her wound, she knew it would keep the wound from bleeding and getting infected. She tilted her head, her fingers and toes curled in on themselves as he wrapped a clean bandage around her thigh. Tears pricked at her eyes as her mind caught up to her. She was with her family, she was  home . Her mother was the first to notice her daughter tears, so with an emotional cry that was so very like Buyong, she grasped her daughter's shoulders, looking into her eyes. Buyong relished her presence before she gathered Hyunsu into a tight hug. 

 'Oh, my daughter,' she cried out, ignoring the salty tears that were flooding down her cheeks, wetting her childs hair. 'My daughter,' she repeated, savouring the words she never imagined she would say again. Buyong rocked her daughter slowly, ignorant to the wooden edge of the table that dug into her stomach. She would never lose her baby again, never again, she would rip the Fae apart herself if she had to. 

 'Mom,' Hyunsu's voice wavered as her fingers dug into her mother's back, she feared that if she didn't hold on as tight as she could, everything would dissolve like some cruel dream, a malicious illusion. 'I missed you,' the words felt awkward in her mouth, her tongue seemed to itch with discomfort, she hadn't spoke her mother tongue in so long, it felt weird to start again. With a quiet whimper she burrowed her head in her mother's shoulder, breathing in the strong scent of herbs she had so nearly forgotten. 'I missed you so much,' she cried, just as shrilly as her mother, Buyong, had previously. With her exclamation, every shield, and every emotion block she had disappeared, leaving her a blubbering mess, soaking her mother's coarse dress with her tears. 

 Who cared what Dongwoo would think if he knew she was grateful that she was home, that she was once again with the humans. She was home, and with family. His opinion meant nothing to her. 

 

 Hyunsu awoke the next day feeling groggy and weary. Her eyes ached and were no doubt swollen. Her fingers rubbed against the ratty blanket that was separating her from the hard wooden floor of her, and her brothers room. With a sigh she pushed herself up, the dress she was wearing, one of her mother's old ones, was hanging off her frame. She hugged her arms around herself, closing her eyes as she breathed in the smell of dust and sweetgrass that came from the dress. She was home, her eyes opened and she looked around the small room that was just as sparse as it was previously. There were a few books lying around, all her fathers, and a few chests. One for her, and one for Zuko, there was also a box. It had some blankets and pillows in it already, her brothers no doubt, and there was still some space for hers. 

 With trembling fingers she folded up her blankets and put the in the box, then laid the pillow down on top. She scratched her shoulder, trying to ignore the annoying itch of the rough cloth scraping against her delicate skin. She had long since swapped her pants and her short tunics for the dress she was wearing. The dirty clothes were lying in the back of the room, her mother had refused to wash the Fae given clothing. Father had confiscated her belt, not wanting her to wear any Fae related clothes at all. All the things she thought were important were swapped for her mother's old dresses. She couldn’t even wear her own dresses from before she met the Fae, her mother had to adjust those dresses so she could wear them. Since she had been with the Fae she had filled out, she had a slim frame that was lined with muscles, as opposed to her previous underweight and malnourished body. 

 She had slept well the night before, but she knew that was only because of how drained she was, there had been not much else for her to do but sleep. With a sigh she stumbled out of the room. A smile tugged at her lips with the gentleness of a spring breeze. It truly was a sight to see, she never imagined that she would ever see her mother again, yet she was watching her double check each container that was poultice on the medicine shelf. Her shawl fluttered behind her, stained from the oils of herbs that she spent so much time preparing. 

 Hyunsu settled herself onto the couch, lightly tracing her finger around where the wound was, ignoring the coarse fabric that that laid between her fingers and her cut, 'good morning.' 

 'Oh! You're awake! When did you get so quiet?' Buyong looked at her daughter, her eyes shining with amused suspicion. 'You were the loudest of us all.' 

 Hyunsu could feel her tongue restless in her mouth, eager to comment that Woohyun could probably have heard her coming before she had even woken up. But, with a wry smile, she just smiled. 'Not anymore,' was her final retort. 'Do you need any help with breakfast?' She gripped the dress where her knees were.

 'Help?' Buyong looked at the clock, as if just realising that it was almost time to prepare for the first meal of the day. 'No! Rest, you should not move too much, you will agitate your wound. You know that.' She scurried to the kitchen, shooting an off guard look at her daughter. She had never known Hyunsu to raise with the sun. In fact, she had never known her to get up in the morning without the hassling of a family member. It was questionable whether the change was good, perhaps if she knew why her daughter had changed.

 'Okay,' Hyunsu instead watched her mother prepare the meal alone, unaware of her mother's thoughts. Instead, her own mind was full of her own questions, such as the worrying question of when they would let her help out again, and not treat her like a simple invalid. By the one that was haunting her the most was whether the Fae would come after her again, and whether she even wanted them to. 

  
  
 

 Hyunsu found herself midway through the day, tapping on the floor before her to an indiscernible beat. She felt restless, she hadn't been still for that long in what seemed like years. If she sat still around Hoya or the others, they would get on her about being lazy, or one of the kids would drag her into a game. If neither of those happened then Sungjong would be the one dragging her into some crazy activity with the children. 

 She felt quite lost, if she were to be perfectly honest. She knew that she had been gone for six months, but Aeko had not visited her once since she had been back. It didn't make sense, she had grown up with Aeko, it would have been impossible for her friend to have forgotten about her to have not heard about her being back. 'What's so different,' Hyunsu sighed and stilled her frantic fingers. She pushed herself up off of the bench that was situated in their garden, hobbling inside the house. She winced each time she put pressure on her right leg.

 'What are you doing up?' Joonho dropped the quill he was writing with and rushed to his daughter, helping her walk. 

 'I thought it was time to change my bandage,' Hyunsu brushed her stray hair out of her face, looking out the window, at the blue sky.

 'I see,' Joonho helped her get to the table that he used for his patients, and helped her sit on it. 'What's on your mind?' He asked as he unwrapped the cloth, setting it aside to be washed. 

 'I don't know,' Hyunsu dipped her hand into the warm bucket of disinfecting water, grasping the cloth inside, and pulling it out. She gently washed her wound, biting her tongue whenever she felt her nerves scream with pain. 'Where is Aeko?' The night before her mind had been hazy and full of worry, after a full nights rest her mind was more clear, and she could see why her mother had been so fearful. Her wound was visibly deep, it had to be, the whole head of the arrow was imbedded into her leg. The skin around it was red, with hints of purple, it was bruised from the impact of the arrow. She could see scabs along the top of the wound, and little crimson droplets of blood coming to the top as she washed the cut. 

 'She's been busy,' Joonho took the cloth from her and gently dabbed the wound, cleaning it for her. 

 'With what?' Hyunsu's eyes drifted to the other bruises lining her legs. She could feel her lips tug into the smallest of smiles as remembered how she got them. She recognised the one on her shin, it was small, and was because when she was playing tag with one of the kids, a girl had ran right into her. Another one was closer to her cut, it was from when Hoya was showing her how to take someone down. She had practiced it on Sungyeol, she had done it rather well, but he had flailed in panic and hit her thigh with his elbow. 

 'Despite her mother breaking her betrothal to Kwan, she's been helping him.' Despite Hyunsu looking at her bruises fondly, Joonho was worried, he had no idea how they were formed and imagined only the worst. What if the Fae had figured out what they had done? Did their anger cause them to abuse his daughter? Sooki had sworn they wouldn’t hurt her, she had sworn that she would be safe. 

 'I never imagined she would do that,' she watched with apathetic eyes as her father gently put more poultice on her wound. 

 'No, it's not expected, is it?' He fiddled with the cloth he was using for a bandage, folding it to the proper size and shape. 'She comes to our house daily, so, I have no worry for you having not seen her yet,' Hyunsu bit her tongue as he wrapped the bandage tightly. 

 'I'm glad,' Hyunsu's voice cracked, revealing the pain she was really in. 'I'm glad that she's found something to do.' 

 'Yes,' Joonho took out a small pot that fit in his hand, instantly Hyunsu balked and shook her head. 

 'I don't need it,' she knew that pot, she knew it far too well. It was full of a salve that was meant to help bruises heal, but it smelt awful. It was far too strong, and the scent burned her nose. 'Really, I'm okay,' she smiled at her dad and whilst wincing, stood up. 

 'Be careful,' without a second thought he put down the small pot and supported her. Both of their heads snapped to the door at the sound of knocking, 'come in!' Within seconds of his call the door opened and Hyunsu felt the air in her chest come out with a loud whomp. 

 'Kwan,' she went to greet him, instead she hissed, her wound hurt. 

 'Hyunsu,' Kwan's lips quirked into a smile, and his eyebrows raised with his smile, making the scars on his forehead bunch. 'I heard you came back, are you okay?' He stumbled his way to the couch, Aeko was supporting his elbow, patting it when he was in front of one of the cushions. 

 'I-yes,' Hyunsu stumbled her way to the couch, sitting down in the seat beside it. She looked at Aeko as she sat down, frowning when she saw the look on her friends face. She recognised that look, it was the same one she would get whenever Jinki took her wooden blocks as a kid. Aeko looked like someone had just taken her favourite toy from her. 'Are you better,' feeling weirdly shamed by the look her long time friend was giving her, she looked at Kwan. She felt even worse when she looked into his empty eye sockets. When she blinked, she almost saw his light brown eyes that always seemed to be shining with optimism. 

 'Am I? I only have flesh wounds,' her stomach churned with nausea as she looked at the red flesh that was sunken in where his eyes should have been. Her eyes drifted up to his forehead, and her nauseousness turned to disgust. Her friends had done that, they had gouged his eyes right out of their resting place, then etched their writing into his forehead. Unlike before she could read it, she could even recognize whose writing it was. Dongwoo had been the one to scrawl the word, eyes, into Kwan's forehead. She could hardly say she was surprised. 'You're the one that was stuck with the  monsters ,' Kwon's voice shook with hatred. 'I can't imagine what you had to go through.' 

 'I,' Hyunsu's voice shook as she tried to control her eyes that burned with empathy for her friend. 'I can't even begin to,' she covered her mouth and looked away from Kwan. Just looking at him made her gag reflex act up, she felt as if she were going to lose her lunch. She had learned from them, she talked with them, she had even  laughed with them. In that time, did she really forget the people she was with? If they could even be called that. They weren’t people, they were never people, they were always  Fae . 

 'Hyunsu,' Aeko's voice rang through the room, sounding just as clear cut as before. 'It's okay, you don't have to tell us if it's too hard.' 

 'Aeko,' Hyunsu looked back at her friend. She wanted to thank her, she really did, but she was confused. Aeko's tone was pure, wasn't it? That's how she had always described her voice to anyone who listened, so why did her friend sound so patronising? Had Aeko always spoken with such elitist tones, or had Hyunsu's interpretation changed? 

 'It's okay to be in pain,' Aeko smiled, but Hyunsu only saw the apathy and hunger that was in the eyes of a predator. 

 One day when L was showing her different plants, they had come across a bear that was aiming to kill a doe. It had been as stealthy as a bear could, and had killed the doe as only a bear would. It hadn't bothered her, what had bothered her was the pure animalism that was reflected in the bear's eyes, the eyes that were so black they seemed to be without any soul. They had looked just like Aeko's, hungry for success, and lacking understanding of the doe's future pain. All predators shared such a look, even the bear that had attacked her. 

 'It's normal,' Kwan cleared his throat, his fingers that were covered in thin scars rubbed against each other. Hyunsu knew some of those were from when he was first learning to skin his kill, but she was well aware that most of it was because of the Fae. 'It's normal to be in pain,' his voice escaped him quietly, it was more like he had sighed than spoken. 

 'I know,' Hyunsu rubbed her knees again, confused about the revelations she was having about her friend. Maybe she had just spent too long with the Fae and their anti-human ramblings. Maybe she was just confused because they had always said her kind was evil. Maybe, she was just seeing things that weren’t there. 

 'I'm here to get his medicine, so, I'll leave you two,' Aeko smiled before standing up and walking away to find Joonho who had slipped off after the trio had started talking. 

 'I heard you got shot,' Kwan's empty sockets stared at her as he spoke. She could hear the accusation in the background, he figured it was because of the Fae, he thought they were the ones to shoot her. 

 'I did, it was an accident, I don't think Jinki really meant to.' Hyunsu couldn't help the protective feeling that erupted in her chest when she heard him accusing the Fae of hurting her. She may have been confused, possibly even diluted when it came to their nature, but one thing she was sure of was that they would never hurt her like that. 

 'Jinki?' Kwan looked calm only moments ago, but suddenly his face has twisted into a repulsed expression. 'He would never do that to you, never. I don't know what they did to you, but they're the ones who hurt you.' Hyunsu kept quiet, she had no idea what to say. 'They're monsters, they're the reason that there is evil in the world.' Kwan's nostrils flared as he clenched his scarred fists. 'They're the reason we're stuck here, scared of going out at night. They hunt us for sport. Like we're less than them, like we're creatures to be played with.'

 'Kwan-' 

 'They're hateful creatures, I bet you anything they torture each other for fun. Did you ever see them rip children to shreds? Do they really make coats out of the skins of virgins?' Kwan leaned towards her, his expression disgusted Hyunsu almost as much as the things he was saying. He looked demented, he looked inhuman. 

 'They're not like that!' The words slipped out of Hyunsu's mouth before she could stop them. She sniffed, trying to keep the tears of hatred that had once been caused by empathy, from falling. 

 'What?' Kwan looked thrown back, his scars were wrinkling, making the words on his forehead stand out. As she read the words, she remembered something Dongwoo had told her when she had expressed her feelings on the bear. He had told her that eyes were a curse, they told only the truth, and that it was the one things liars could not fake. He had told her that humans were unable to understand the curse as well as the Fae could. He told her that humans were unwilling to read each others truths, but when a Fae looked into a humans eyes, they knew what kind of person they were. They could tell their very nature, and, in that instant, Hyunsu agreed with him. 

 Suddenly she saw something in Kwan she had never seen before. He had always been happy, he was the positive one, yet, in that moment, he was so full of ignorance and hatred that she could only see his mother that had stormed through her house insulting Sooki when Kwan was lying on the bed, injured. Even without his eyes, she could see that he was not kind hearted, maybe it had been his wounds that made him that way. Maybe the pain was too much. Or, maybe, he had always been that way, that meant she, like everyone else, was fooled by the exterior he had put up. Or maybe she was the only who was fooled. 

 'I can’t believe this,’ his sockets seemed to narrow, as if they forgot they no longer contained eyes. 

 ‘What’s wrong?’ Aeko walked into the room with a small pot in her hand. 

 ‘I want to go,’ Kwan stood up, surprisingly balanced. Hyunsu didn’t know why, but she had always imagined that he would be off balance because of his loss of sight. Though, he had been blind for six months, no doubt he had gotten used to it. ‘Whatever they did to you, you need to remember what they are,’ were his final words before he let Aeko guide him to the door. Aeko had stared at Hyunsu with a look of utmost confusion as she opened the door. Then, with a frown, she walked out and closed the door behind her and Kwan. 

 ‘That didn’t sound like it went over well,’ Zuko walked in through the back door with an uncomfortable look at the front door. 

 ‘You’re home,’ Hyunsu folded her hands in her lap. ‘Has he always been like that?’ 

 ‘Been like what?’ He walked up to her and sat down where Kwan had been. 

 ‘Negative, sad, burdened.’ Hyunsu slouched into her seat, ‘has he always been so angry?’ 

 ‘He has every reason to be, so do you.’ Zuko sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms. ‘He didn’t forgive the Fae for what they did. Nobody blames him, if anything they agree. Nobody is expecting you to forgive them either.’ He rubbed his arm, not able to sit still. 

 ‘Can I see Sooki?’ 

 ‘Sooki?’ He instantly stiffened and looked away. ‘I know you’re friends with her, but, we all agreed that it might be best if you didn’t see her.’ 

 ‘What? Why?’ Hyunsu bit her tongue lightly, trying to stop the tears that were burning at her eyes. Why couldn’t she see her? Why couldn’t she see the person she trusted the most, when her life was in such turmoil? 

 ‘We don’t know what they did to you,’ Zuko gently took her hand, ‘we thought it’d be best if you didn’t see someone like her. In case she-’ 

 ‘In case she what? Summons them?’ Hyunsu spat, she felt her chest clench as her brother looked away. They were taking away her security because they were afraid she would send her away? Were they that ignorant? She knew Sooki had never communicated with them, she knew that Sooki would never do that. But they didn’t trust her because she was a Nymph. Not a Fae, a  Nymph.

 ‘Hyunsu,’ Zuko breathed out her name, a pained grimace was twisting his lips. 

 ‘She would never do that,’ her words came out choked and hard to say. ‘Sooki would never do that.’ 

 ‘We don’t know that, she’s one of them.’ 

 ‘No, she’s not. She’s one of us.’ Ignoring the pain, Hyunsu stood up and walked away from her brother. A part of her encouraged her sentiment, the other was cynical, questioning what she meant. Who did she really think us was? 


	9. Chapter 9

 ‘That’s not fair!’ Hyunsu glowered at the empty fireplace. 

 

 ‘It’s for your own good, everyone agrees that you shouldn’t see her.’ Buyong played with the knot of her shawl, as her husband and daughter argued. She couldn’t stand to hear them talking with each other like that. 

 

 ‘She’s my friend, I haven’t seen her in months.’ She crossed her arms, feeling a strong urge to pout and stomp her feet like a child. But she wouldn’t, there was no point, it would get her nowhere. Plus her leg still hurt and that would just make it worse. 

 ‘Hyunsu, you have been  banned from her presence!’ Joonho closed his eyes and sighed heavily. She was just as stubborn as before. ‘There is only one way that you will be allowed to see her again.’ 

 ‘What is it?’ Hyunsu finally looked at them, but her eyes were narrowed from suspicion. 

 ‘You have to marry Hyoheon.’ Hyunsu stared at him with an expression tied between disbelief and disgust. 

 ‘Why? Why do I have to marry him if I want to see her? That makes no sense.’ 

 ‘Did you forget you were engaged before this? You have obligations to fulfill,’ Joonho looked away from her, not wanting to see the betrayed look on his daughter's face. 

 ‘Obligations? Since when did I swear to do this! I never once gave my promise to marry him! I don’t want to go near him!’ She clenched the fabric of the dress in her fists as she spoke. ‘I want to see Sooki without being tied to an aberration like him! He’s, he’s,’ she shook her head. ‘He’s a sexist bigot!’ Following her words was silence. Hyunsu watched as her mother covered her mouth and choked on her tears. Her father was motionless, he said nothing, and didn’t express a single emotion. ‘I don’t want to.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu,’ Buyong’s mouth was hanging open, making her wobbling chin stand out as tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Was it us?’ She hugged Hyunsu tightly against her chest, ‘what have we done to you?’ 

 ‘You did nothing,’ Hyunsu whispered into her mother’s shoulder, hugging her back. It hadn’t taken her long to realise that she had slipped into the languages of the Nymphs by the end of her rant. She wasn’t surprised that her mother had broken down, but she couldn’t understand why her mother blamed herself. 

 ‘You don’t know what you’re saying,’ Buyong wiped the tears off her cheeks with rough swipes of her calloused hands. ‘Give me the necklace.’ 

 ‘What?’ Hyunsu instantly grabbed the necklace they had given her. ‘No,’ she shook her head and backed away from her mother. ‘You can’t take it.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu,’ Buyong held out her hand with a begging looked on her face. Hyunsu didn’t have to say anything for her parents to hear the silent, it’s the only thing left. It was the only thing they let her keep that wasn’t human, and now, they wanted to take it from her as well. 

 ‘It’s mine,’ Hyunsu grasped it the cool stone, somehow it seemed to get colder in her hands, balancing out her rising body heat. ‘You can’t have it.’ 

 ‘It’s Sooki’s,’ Joonho disagreed and shook his head, finally speaking up. 

 ‘But, you gave it to me,’ Hyunsu frowned at them, her mother instantly looked away from her. ‘You are the one that handed it to me,’ she looked at her dad who stared at her with a blank expression. ‘How is it Sooki’s?’

 ‘Hyunsu, give it to me.’ 

 ‘No, no, first tell me what you did.’ Hyunsu clenched her teeth, feeling rising anger at the way her parents were acting. Why were they guilty? What could they have possibly done that was so bad?’ 

 ‘Hyunsu!’ Joonho’s voice rose as he walked towards her with an outstretched hand. ‘Give me the necklace, please,’ his voice shook uncharacteristically as he begged for it. Hyunsu stared at her father with watery eyes, he looked so desperate. With shaky hands she lifted it over her head and held it over his hand. He took it instantly, his fingers wrapped around the stone as the coloured lines on it dissolved into nothing, leaving the stone blank. 

 ‘Please don’t go looking for her,’ Buyong begged as Joonho left their house, the door slamming behind him. 

 ‘You dare ask that of me?’ Hyunsu questioned with a quiet voice. ‘You dare ask me to not look for my only true friend when you’re taking everything from me?’ 

 ‘The only things we’re taking are the inhuman things you have!’ Buyong snapped, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were just as tear filled as her daughters. ‘You don’t, you shouldn’t have those things. They’re tainting you,’ she rubbed her calloused fingers against Hyunsu’s shoulders in a futile attempt to calm her. ‘They’re trying to  change you , we can’t let that happen.’ 

 ‘Nobody is changing me,’ Hyunsu shook her shoulder until her mother let go of her, before she walked by her. ‘Nobody has changed, nothing is different, but our perspectives have changed, haven’t they?’ She stopped midway through the living room. ‘I know what changed my view, but what’s changed yours?’ With those final words she walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Her eyes closed as she slumped against the door with a heavy sigh. 

 With that moment to relax, her eyes snapped open and she walked to the window and wrestled it open. Her fingers tightened around the window frame as she leaned out, it would be so easy to just slip out and see Sooki. But she wouldn’t, Hyunsu sat down against the wall and stared at the wall. She knew it was a bad idea. Instead, she was left sitting in the room she shared with her brother. She just felt so lost. 

  
 

 As her brothers breath slowed, Hyunsu slipped out of the window. She hadn’t left her house since she had come back, now her first time out of the village was in the middle of the night after hours of sitting and waiting. Her boots agitated the mud underneath her making the scent of muck and mold stronger. She grimaced and pinched her nose, had the village always smelt so repulsive after so much rain? She didn’t understand how she had not been so bothered all the previous years. 

 Shaking the thoughts from her head she stopped at the house Sooki lived in. Biting her lips she scanned the building, there was a single window with a candle lit up. Was that Sooki? Did she know she was coming? Hyunsu easily jumped up and grabbed onto the branch of the tree beside their house. With ease that resembled the Fae enough to scare the villagers, she swung until she was able to jump to a higher branch and pull herself up onto it. Shaking her shoulders to ease her growing nerves she tried to climb the tree higher. 

 Hyunsu grimaced as she failed to reach the next branch, the tree branches in the village were staggered more than the ones in the village. So that only left scaling, she looked at the trunk apprehensively, she had always failed when she tried to climb the trunk, even with the pants they had given her. Now she was wearing a dress, she didn’t see that going well. So, she decided to look around. Her only option was to jump higher, and so she did. She barely managed to grab the branch and pull herself up. Breathing out she pulled herself onto the roof. 

 She took that moment to stand upright and stare out towards the forest. She couldn’t see anything, not a single light, or a body moving in the darkness, maybe they really were leaving her. Maybe she would not go back, but she shouldn’t really care. Right? 

 Hyunsu shook her head and walked to the edge of the roof and tapped the window that had a lit up window with a branch she had decided to break off of the tree at the last moment. The window opened and Sooki look out. The first place she looked was up at Hyunsu. ‘Sooki,’ Hyunsu smiled weakly down at her long-time friend.

 ‘Hyunsu, what are you doing up there?’ An amused smile curled at her lips, Sooki asked why she was up there, yet it was the first place she looked for her. ‘Get in here before you hurt yourself.’ She waved Hyunu closer to the edge where she was able to, albeit slowly, lower herself into the room. ‘You are supposed to be at home,’ Sooki said as she hugged Hyunsu to her tightly. 

 ‘I know,’ Hyunsu hugged her back just as tightly, relaxing in her friend's grasp. She breathed in the fresh scent that she had always associated with Sooki, she had always thought Sooki smelt like forest, but now that she had been there, she knew Sooki smelt nothing of the sort. She still smelt earthy, but not like the fragrant mix of bark, rain, and flowers that she was so used to. ‘I don’t know what to do.’ 

 ‘What’s wrong,’ Sooki ran her fingers through Hyunsu’s tangled hair that had some leaves in it from her expedition in the trees so she could get on the roof. 

 ‘Is everything different, or am I?’ Instantly tears started flowing down Hyunsu’s cheeks. 

 ‘Do you think nothing has changed since you have left?’ Sooki’s melodious voice soother Hyunsu’s frayed nerves, helping her to relax since the first time she had come back. ‘Do you think time stops when you’re not here? The villagers have changed, as have you.’ 

 ‘But,’ Hyunsu sniffed and pulled away, letting Sooki guide her to the chair. ‘Everyone’s so, angry.’ 

 ‘So are the Fae,’ Sooki sat down beside Hyunsu. ‘With their hunts,’ the last word wasn’t in the human language, but Hyunsu recognized it instantly as the one that Sungyeol refused to explain to her. ‘And their scouting. They look for trouble, that’s all they want. Nothing more.’ 

 ‘What does that mean?’ Hyunsu looked down at her hands. 

 ‘What?’ Sooki folded her hands in her lap, looking at the wall in the sparse room. 

 ‘Hunt, what does it mean?’ It felt strange to her, to be able to switch between languages for her questions. She was so used to stumbling through awkward body movements and shaky grammar in order to ask her questions. 

 ‘Hunt?’ Sooki instantly said it’s human equivalent, and watched as Hyunsu fell into a pensive silence. It made sense why they never told her, but if she were to be honest, she had guessed the meaning. She had purposefully ignored the truth because she knew that it would remind her of what the Fae really were. Corrupt, bloodthirsty versions of Nymphs. 

 ‘Can I,’ Hyunsu closed her mouth and looked away from Sooki with flushed cheeks. If she were to be honest, she felt confused and all she wanted was a hug and to have as much bodily contact as possible, but how could she ask that? She couldn’t even ask her mother for that without feeling awkward, so how could she ask that of Sooki? 

 ‘What was it like?’ Sooki hugged Hyunsu, understanding what the young girl needed. ‘How did they treat you?’ 

 ‘They treated me well, not that anyone would have understood if I told them. They were understanding, even when I couldn’t understand them, or them me. The only ones that caused trouble were Dongwoo and Hoya, they were always quick to challenge me or push me as hard as they could.’ Hyunsu went quiet as she leaned against Sooki, relaxing more and more as she spent time in her friend’s presence. She felt good, it was good to finally be able to express herself and what she had been through without fear of adverse reactions. 

 ‘What did they do?’ 

 ‘Well, Dongwoo always called me mean nicknames, nobody ever told me what they meant, but I knew they weren’t good. He scoffed whenever he could, and he always laughed when I couldn’t understand the books he made me read. But, it just made me work harder. Hoya was supposed to teach me how to fight, but it seemed more like stress release,’ Hyunsu trailed off as she spoke, not even noticing when she slipped into Nymphean. 

 ‘I bet you did well,’ Sooki ran her hand through Hyunsu’s hair again. 

 ‘I did, because all we really did was throw stuff,’ Hyunsu sighed as she spoke. ‘L was going to start me with the bow next week, before letting Hoya teach me the rest. But I guess that won’t happen.’ Sooki remained silent, ‘I was excited. It seemed like they were becoming kinder. But Woohyun never changed, he was neutral, he’s always been neutral. He treated me well but it was more out of fascination because I was raised by humans. He never really thought anymore of me, and he still doesn’t.’ Sooki didn’t comment on Hyunsu’s wording, on how she was talking as if she herself weren’t human. Instead she continued to listen, ‘Sungyeol, Sungjong, and L were always the nicest, even if L was cold in the beginning. He’s always been the easiest to talk to, L has, even when we didn’t know the same languages.’ 

 ‘There are always some people who are more attuned to each other compared to the other people they know.’ Sooki spoke slowly, her voice was a calm, soothing drone that calmed Hyunsu’s nerves. 

 ‘I miss them, but I missed here too, when I was gone.’ She said the last part slowly, as if she couldn’t fully understand her surroundings. 

 ‘You’re just confused,’ Sooki ran her fingers on Hyunsu’s forehead, as if making sure she didn’t have a temperature, before her palm raised ran up her forehead and onto her skull, running her fingers through the young girl’s hair again. Hyunsu closed her eyes, breathing out softly as Sooki’s fingernails lightly scraped against the top of her head. ‘It’ll be alright, but, after tonight, you can’t come and see me.’ 

 ‘What!’ Hyunsu sat up straight and frowned at her old friend, her eyes were burning with confused betrayal. ‘Why? Why is everyone restricting us? Why can’t we see each other? You’re the only one I’m comfortable with!’ 

 ‘That’s why,’ Sooki pressed her palms against Hyunsu’s cheeks, her skin was cold, like fresh well water against Hyunsu’s flushed face. ‘You’re one of them, and you’re interested in someone like me. They’re scared that I’ll corrupt you. They don’t want to let you go.’ 

 ‘Neither do they, right? They think you’ll assist them?’ It was obvious to the two when They went from the Humans, to the Fae. There was almost a palpable difference between the meanings. Hyunsu’s nose flared as she breathed out, she was past angry. She was furious, she didn’t know why she felt so upset, she couldn’t be angry. Instead she should be happy to be home, happy to be away from the Fae. 

 ‘It’s silly, isn’t it. They would never touch a disparate like me. They consider us soiled, unfixable. They see people like me as failures on their part,’ Sooki closed her eyes and sighed, releasing the lightest of breaths. 

 ‘Maybe, but I know the sons of the local balancers. They would see it as a failure but I also know that they would fight to bring you in if you wanted to them to. They are passionate Nix,’ Hyunsu was unaware of the small smile that bloomed on her face as she talked about them. ‘They believe full heartedly in family, and connections. They would never turn down a lost seed,’ the words that came from her were not full of Human jargon or metaphors, instead, Sooki could see the influence of the Fae. She could see the use of nature in metaphors, and the concentration on family that was detrimental to her kind, no, to the Nymph kind. She couldn’t, in good conscience, call herself one of them again, not after she had lost her essence. Not after what she had done. 

 ‘Hyunsu, I don’t want to go to them. They are not my family, I have my duties, I am married.’ Hyunsu bit her tongue and shook her head as she breathed out through her nose, she just wanted Sooki to be happy. She didn’t want her to be ridiculed and ignored by the humans. ‘We believe in loyalty, and as one binded to my husband, I will be loyal to him. I will give him my all and treat him right. He’s not a bad man, my husband has always treated me right, and I know I can trust him. I don’t focus on the thoughts of the people here, instead I focus on the thoughts of the people that I care about.’ 

 ‘That doesn’t make it any more fair,’ Hyunsu muttered, ducking her head as she rubbed her forehead. 

 ‘I know,’ Sooki sighed and Hyunsu focused on her. The firelight from the candles, and the little fireplace in the corner lit up the old Nymph’s features with a flickering amber glow. In that instant, it felt as if Hyunsu was finally seeing Sooki, seeing every part of her. 

 Her eyes, that Hyunsu had always claimed were dark brown, suddenly seemed to show their true golden selves. They were bright, and full of coherency, wisdom was what made them glow so brightly, despite the candles. Her lips were full, yet they looked limp, from being persed so constantly, it seemed as if they didn’t know how to relax. Her cheekbones were high, but instead of making her face angular, they served to make her cheeps more plump. Her face wasn’t as perfect as she had once thought, Hyunsu could see faint blemishes that looked almost like little scars, and there were faint indents that hinted to wrinkles. She looked so tired, like the life she had lived had been hard, yet her vitality, the thing that had always made her look so perfect, was like a pure aura that made her shine more than the humans in the village. 

 ‘Have I always been so blind?’ Hyunsu blinked quickly, as if closing her eyes for longer than a millisecond would send her back to her obliviousness mindset, where she couldn’t see who Sooki really was. 

 ‘No,’ Sooki’s lips curled into an amused smile, and her eyes crinkled, making her wrinkles stand out, ‘you’ve always been  young . Even when you were young, you saw more than most.’ 

 ‘How old are you really?’ Hyunsu’s nose wrinkled in confusion, if she had to guess, Sooki looked like she was in her early thirties. Just old enough to look mature and able, but young enough that she couldn’t possible have any impressionable body problems. 

 ‘Some say that you should never ask a lady her age,’ Sooki’s eyebrow arched just the tiniest bit. ‘If you have to know, I’m in my sixties,’ Hyunsu scoffed and shook her head. 

 ‘No, I hardly believe that you’re sixty.’ 

 ‘You always said I was old enough to be your grandmother, you happen to be right.’ Sooki laughed, fully enjoying the shock that was on Hyunsu’s face. ‘We age differently from humans,’ she ran her fingers through Hyunsu’s hair again, making her relax into the couch again. 

 ‘Do we?’ Hyunsu smiled and laughed, joking when she insinuated that she was also youthful and had the abilities of a Nymph. 

 ‘Perhaps,’ she chuckled before sighing from content. 

 ‘Can you tell me some stories?’ 

 ‘What about?’ 

 ‘I don’t know, what about fables? L told me the story about the Sea Nymph and the Mountain Nix.’ 

 ‘I see why he would tell you that story,’ Sooki nodded and hummed softly, ‘I can think of some that I can tell you. Have you ever heard of the Sea Dragon and the Nymph?’ 

 ‘No,’ Hyunsu shook her head and Sooki nodded. 

 ‘Then I’ll tell you,’ Hyunsu smiled and watched Sooki as she spoke, telling another story that Hyunsu could tell that she would love. 

  
 

 The two had stayed up most of the night, exchanging stories, Sooki’s were fables that Hyunsu was more than eager to listen to, and Hyunsu’s were about her life with the Fae. Her stories sometimes caused her older friend to tear up, she could only assume that it was because it reminded her of her former life. Hyunsu only slept, for a little while and it was only when the sun was just about to rise. If she had not been blurry minded from being tired, she would have realised that it was around the time that the Fae recouperated. 

 Hyunsu woke up to loud yells and cheers, as well as movement as Sooki stood up, putting the book she was reading down. ‘What is it?’ She rubbed her eyes, watching as Sooki opened the window and looked out. 

 ‘It’s here,’ Sooki beckoned for Hyunsu to get up, and so she did, though with a grimace. She realised as she stumbled to Sooki’s side, that she shouldn’t have been leaping around to get to Sooki, at least, not with the wound she had on her leg. 

 ‘What’s here?’ Hyunsu bumped into the ledge of the windowsill and stared with unfocused eyes down into the village streets. 

 ‘Look,’ Sooki pointed to the gates that were opened wide to allow a small caravan entrance, the caravan consisted of three carts, six horses (two drawing each cart) and at least fifteen people. 

 ‘Merchants? Really?’ Her voice pitched higher in excitement, as if she had never been with the Fae, she fell upon her ingrained pleasure of arriving supplies. ‘How? Why were they let through? The last two didn’t make it.’ 

 ‘I’m guessing they were busy,’ Sooki nodded to two bodies that were being carried by the merchants. Hyunsu felt her mouth open as she stared at the blood stained sheets that were wrapped around them. 

 ‘That’s why they let them pass?’ She looked away from the bodies. ‘To send a message? What kind of-’ Hyunsu trailed off as she stared at the two people who were carrying the limp bodies.

 ‘What is it?’ Sooki placed her hand on Hyunsu’s shoulder, and lightly rubbed her fingers into the stiff muscles. Hyunsu opened her mouth to speak, but her words were unable to form as the merchant who was closest to her looked up and met her eyes. Instantly she felt her body warm in shame and her lips curl into an embarrassed smile. She raised her hand warily before sending him a shaky wave. She could see his lips open with a scoff, and his dark eyes roll as Hoya looked over at L who merely smirked and kept his gaze set firmly on the ground. ‘Ah, I see,’ Sooki chuckled as she rested her elbow on the windowsill, and her chin upon her palm, focusing her eyes on the two Nix. ‘You bonded with them rather quickly, don’t you think?’

 Hyunsu remained silent, but in that instant she suddenly made sense of why her parents had wanted her to marry Hyoheon. It was all a pathetic attempt to keep her at home. They valued her presence over her happiness. She didn’t blame them. She did, however, blame herself for not realising how dedicated the Fae were to those they accepted in their lives, and how hard they would fight to keep them there. ‘No, I don’t think I did,’ she finally whispered as she stepped away from the window. After all, six months was a long time. 

 

* * *

 ‘That was stupid.’ Zuko sighed and unwrapped the bandage that was wrapped around Hyunsu’s leg. 

 

 It was a couple of hours since the caravan had come into town, and had only been a half hour since she was smuggled out of the Lord of the villages house. It had taken a lot of work to get out without the elders, or anyone else noticing, but it was mainly the elders that she was avoiding. The elders were the ones that decided that she could not see Sooki, and would be the ones to react the most violently. It wasn’t surprising that once they got home, blood was soaking through her dress from the injury on her leg. While her father left to meet the caravans and see who the injured people were, Zuko had been the one to stay and care for her wound. 

 ‘I know.’ Hyunsu huffed and looked away from her older brother, instead she focused her gaze on the garden that was directly outside of the window. ‘I just, I  hate being restricted. Why can’t I just do what I want?’ Being told she couldn't do what she wanted made her feel tense, and as if the world was converging on her, suffocating her. It made her long for the sense of freedom she gained in the forest. She may still have been limited, but there was something freeing about the way she could relax, talk to whoever she wished, and just wait. Sometimes she wondered what she was always waiting for, but there was always something she was anticipating.

 ‘Because it’s dangerous.’ Zuko gently dabbed the damp cloth against her wound. Hyunsu squeezed her eyes shut as pain shot up her leg. The pain melded with the tickling sensation of water rolling down her legs, which only served to make her leg feel itchy. ‘Have you heard about the travellers?’ He changed the topic swiftly, quickly catching on that the previous one would only serve to cause arguments. 

 ‘No, they have two wounded though, don’t they?’ She felt her stomach churn as she thought about the Fae look-a-likes. Did they really follow her there? 

 ‘Yes, they are our own people as well.’ Zuko’s lips twisted as he spread the poultice on her wound. ‘Jinki is trying to get the caravan to let them into our house.’ 

 ‘Why wouldn’t they be brought here immediately?’ Hyunsu’s eyebrows furrowed together as she pressed her palms into the table beneath her. 

 ‘The caravan are unsure that we can take care of them, they’re upset that they were in the hands of the Fae.’ Zuko jerked his head to the side as he released a heavy sigh of exasperation. ‘They want their own healers to look at them,’ he said. It was irritating that foreigners were constricting their access to the injured, especially when he felt they had no power in their village. They had no authority to restrict them from helping their own people. 

 ‘I see,’ Hyunsu said, not saying anything else as Zuko wrapped the bandage around her wound before tying it tightly. 

 ‘See! There are a lot of herbs in the garden! That’s a good sign, right?’ Zuko instantly rolled his eyes and smiled as he heard his friend Jinki talking loudly outside the house. 

 ‘I suppose he convinced them,’ Hyunsu said as she pushed herself off of the table. Instantly Zuko was supporting her and making sure she wasn’t putting too much weight on her leg. 

 ‘I suppose so.’ The door opened as he responded, revealing Jinki who was guiding three people inside. Two of the three were carrying bodies. 

 ‘These are the children of the healers, Hyunsu, and Zuko.’ Jinki grinned and swiped his dark bangs out of his eyes. 

 ‘Hello, I am Lee Hwijae.’ The man who walked in and was not carrying a body announced. He had thick rimmed black glasses and mid length black hair that was tied up in a ponytail. His side bang had multi-coloured strings tied around it in thick bands. ‘I am the leader of this caravan. I understand that these two people are your villagers?’ As he spoke Jinki guided the two people to lay the bodies down upon the table. Zuko gently removed the blankets before nodding in affirmation. 

 ‘They are,’ he answered the man. Hyunsu kept her eyes plastered on the floorboards. She could feel her chest compressing, each breath she took caused pain to blossom in her chest. She had to admit she was scared, she was scared that if she lifted her head she would see Hoya and L. So, she silently left the room and went into her bedroom. She kept the door cracked open just enough that she could hear what was going on. 

 ‘They are in your hands.’ Hwijae nodded, mostly to himself. ‘I will leave Myungsoo in your care, to ensure that the one that still lives will be properly taken care of. He has herbs that may be useful to you.’ 

 ‘Thank you.’ Zuko bowed before walking towards the two bodies. ‘Sooeon is dead,’ he declared after pressing his fingers to the cold corpse that was to the left. Hyunsu frowned and recalled the young teen that was always running around the village looking for the most random of things. He was barely old enough to leave the village, let alone fight. How could they let him go?

 ‘Kangchi is alive, right?’ Jinki asked as he watched Zuko check the next body. 

 ‘Yes, the other one still lives,’ Hwijae said, ‘Myungsoo has been caring to him.’

 ‘Sir.’ Myungsoo folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the wall, watching Zuko check the injuries that the living victim sustained. ‘May Howon stay with me for assistance?’ His dark eyes flicked to the leader as his eyebrow quirked the tiniest of amounts. 

 ‘That depends on the healers.’ Hwijae answered with a bland tone. The corner of his lip curled down. He was still not partial to the village he was in. 

 ‘That should be fine.’ Zuko nodded absently as he wrote down everything he noticed about the bodies. ‘How long will the caravan stay in the village?’ Almost hesitantly, he looked up at the leader. There was something offsetting about the man, his apathy was hard to ignore. 

 ‘We will be staying for the next three nights, then we will leave. We have a schedule to follow if we want to ensure our safety. My informants tell me that the next auspicious day for travel is Tuesday. If we do not leave that day, we will need to wait until the Thursday after next.’ Jinki’s eyebrows shot up as he stared at the man. He looked over at Zuko whose eyebrows furrowed in a silent command to not comment on the man’s fortune based plans. 

 ‘So, who are your informants?’ Jinki asked with a crooked grin, looking completely unapologetic for ignoring Zuko’s warning. 

 ‘The people I meet.’ Hwijae responded with a miniscule wave of his hand. ‘I must go, Myungsoo, focus on your task. Howon, watch over him.’ With a final nod of his head, Hwijae left the house to attended to matters that were more relevant to his caravan, and it's growing wealth. 

 ‘Of course.’ Myungsoo scoffed softly and a smirk curled at his lips (though it very well could have been his attempt at a reassuring smile) as Howon mutely nodded. 

 The room fell into silence as Zuko finished looking over Kangchi’s body, quickly determining that it was well looked over by Myungsoo. There were some minor mistakes regarding the tying of the cloth, and some strange plants he had never seen, but everything seemed in order. He walked around the table to look over the corpse, he focused on the task at hand with the utmost of focus. His pale bangs fell over his eyes as he worked. He ignored how the two people from the caravan stared at him. 

 ‘Excuse me,’ Myungsoo finally spoke up. His eyes were focused on Zuko's odd colouring that was so unlike the people in the village. 

 ‘He’s an albino,’ Jinki said, as if Zuko wasn’t there to explain it himself. 

 ‘Albino?’ Myungsoo frowned, his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

 ‘Yeah,  albino , like, someone who is lacking pigment?’ Jinki had a kind smile on his face, but it was clear that he imagined that everyone knew what an albino was, or even what pigment was. 

 ‘I see,’ Myungsoo looked over at Howon who moved his shoulders the tiniest bit, enough to just barely make it resemble a shrug. The two of them had absolutely no clue what it meant, but apparently it was normal. 

 ‘Is your sister okay?’ Jinki scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile.The attention from the foreigners went from the bodies, to the clumsy man in an instant. Howon had straightened and instantly looked at the door of the room the girl had disappeared into. 

 ‘You can ask her.’ Zuko shot his friend a look before writing down the different cuts and mutilations carved into the corpse. Unlike the previous time there were no words carved into the flesh. Instead, symbols were carved into the chest, they were the same one’s that were cut into Kangchi’s body. It was a strange swirl of lines that came together to make a design that seemed distinctly familiar to him. But he just couldn’t place where he had seen it. 

 ‘But.’ Jinki leaned closer to him, blatantly avoiding looking at the desecrated body. ‘I  shot her. I can’t just go and ask if she’s okay.’ 

 ‘Yes, you can,’ Zuko answered. The duo missed the way Myungsoo’s lips twisted in disgust as he stared at the archer. ‘She’s going to hold a grudge if you don’t speak to her.’ He looked between the bodies. The Fae could never give them back anything whole, anything they got back was only a hint of what once was. Kwan had his hair and eyes torn out before he was carved into. The two villagers were carved into as if they were parchment, and even his own sister, though appearing normal, seemed to be disconnected from reality. He worried the change was far deeper than they could see.

 ‘She’ll hold a grudge against me if I do,’ Jinki retorted. His nose wrinkled as he crossed his arms. 

 ‘Just go and see her.’ Zuko breathed out heavily as he covered the cadaver, hiding it from view until his father could look at it. ‘You two have interesting accents, where are you from?’ His eyebrows rose as he looked at the two males who had carried in the bodies. 

 ‘The south,’ Myungsoo said with a quick look at his friend. 

 ‘Oh, are you two from a coastal community?’ Zuko smiled wistfully, he had always wanted to see the ocean. It was something that he had always dreamed of, especially after he had seen the beautiful painting's that coated the walls of the Elders hall. 

 ‘Coastal community?’ Howon rubbed his eyebrow before grimacing and nodding. ‘Yes, we are.’ 

 ‘What is it like, living by the ocean?’ Zuko placed his palms on the table in front of him, leaning towards the foreigners. 

 ‘Big,’ Myungsoo answered a touch quickly. His response made Zuko and Jinki frown, it was clipped, and quite frankly, a bit aggressive. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ 

 ‘Okay,’ Zuko said as he frowned at Myungsoo. 

  ‘Alright, I’m going.’ Jinki walked to the sibling’s room as soon as the atmosphere seemed suspiciously tense and knocked before walking in. 

 ‘Can he do that?’ Howon immediately looked at Zuko with a face mixed between confusion and disbelief. To his knowledge, the people in the village were extremely careful in their social interactions. Single men and women were not allowed alone in a room, and physical touch, even between family, was definitely kept to the bare minimum. 

 ‘Of course, he’s a family friend.’ With those words the two males glanced at each other than to the room where they could hear Hyunsu greeting Jinki. 

 ‘Can I talk to you?’ Jinki stepped out of view of the three boys as he talked to Hyunsu. 

 ‘Yes.’ Hyunsu closed the door and sat down, placing her back against it. It was a small reassurance to her, it made her feel at least a little safe. If anyone wanted to come in they would have to push her. 

 ‘You were listening in, right?’ Jinki questioned with a smile as he sat down beside her. Instantly her cheeks warmed and she smiled nervously. 

 ‘Perhaps.’ It really was no surprise that she was listening. She had always been the type who couldn’t keep her attention off of the things she was interested in. With the situation she was in, she most definitely would not have kept to herself when she went into the room. How could she when the two guys in the room with her brother might be Fae? 

 ‘I’m sorry. For shooting you in the leg. I didn’t realise it was you until I let it…..’ Jinki went silent, closing his eyes as he sighed and slumped against the wall. 

 ‘It’s okay.’ Hyunsu looked at her fingers that were clenching her dress. 

 ‘It’s not.’ He disagreed. 

 ‘You’re right, it’s not. But there’s nothing we can do about it now, right? Your intentions weren't bad. But - why would you attack them if you didn’t think I was there?’

 ‘Why?’ Jinki asked, his lips pursed by the tiniest bit as he thought through it himself. ‘I’m not-’ He sighed and let his head fall against the wall as he focused his eyes on the ceiling. ‘Hyoheon wanted to kill them all. He told us when we were going in that he wanted revenge for Kwan, for you.’ 

 ‘So you wanted to kill them?’ Hyunsu questioned. The corner of her mouth was lowering into a disgusted expression as she imagined a whole group of villagers listening to Hyoheon’s poisoned words. How could they all listen to him? 

 ‘No!’ Jinki sighed and grimaced, showing his clenched teeth. He hated it, he hated what he had done, he hated that they had to fight. The only thing he should be aiming at would be animals. Deer, rabbits, birds, bears, anything but the coherent. ‘I wanted to get it over and done with.’ 

 ‘The killing?’ Hyunsu frowned at him, she thought she knew what he meant, even if he stumbled over himself with his words as much as with his feet. 

 ‘No.’ Jinki ran his hand through his scruffy hair. ‘The event.’ He said the word as if it were something that had personally offended him. ‘I always get dragged out because I know how to use a bow, but I don’t want to be involved.’ As much as she wanted to deny it, she knew it was true. Jinki was always the one who got dragged into things, he didn’t even want to be an archer originally. It was only because the other boys in the village had wanted to hunt, Jinki had been planning to work under the Lord as a servant, but then he showed aptitude for the bow when the boys were playing around. Elder Nae had seen Jinki and abruptly decided to train him. Now Jinki worked with some of the other boys, like Zuko, to get food for his family and village. ‘I’m sorry.’ 

 ‘I forgive you.’ The words escaped Hyunsu’s lips like a spell, a magic incantation that left her at ease as soon as she said them. After hearing him speak, she understood. ‘Now I feel like there is nothing to forgive.’ She looked over at the man she had always considered her older brother. His brown eyes were shimmering with the calm strength of the river she had always been around in the forest. They were clear and readable, they were clean of grime, and seemed to be alive. They told his soul, just as Kwan’s told his, however, their substance was different. Jinki had the life and consistency of a river. She knew she would never fear him running dry, he would always be full of his opinions, and his truths. She knew he would never bend to the will of others, not after what had been happening. 

 ‘Nothing,’ Jinki said. He scoffed and the side of his mouth curled. ‘There is a lot to forgive. It’s not just the arrow I’m seeking forgiveness for. I know my sister, I know what she has been doing, I know what Kwan has done, and I know what the elder’s are doing. And you know what? I truly believe they are in the wrong.’ 

 ‘Do you still hate them?’ Hyunsu asked referring to the Fae, her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him. She never imagined that she would ever have this conversation with him, she was almost to the point where she believed she would never have the conversation with a human that was fruitful. 

 ‘Hate? Hyunsu.’ He scoffed out a laugh. ‘I never hated the Fae. I’ve always believed that our ancestors should keep their problems. The past we have with the Fae, our history is what caused it, they retaliated as only they could. The Fae, they are like children. They were pure and knew only good, when the humans destroyed their innocence, they clung to their anger and retaliated like children. They gave what they got, an eye for an eye.’ 

 

 ‘You really think they are like children?’ Hyunsu felt personally affronted by his statement, did he truly believe they were so immature? So puerile? She hardly imagined they were, they seemed more wise than the humans she had grown up with. 

 

 ‘Of course, but that’s not an insult, in many ways, it’s a compliment. They have clear views of right and wrong, they protect what they think is theirs with a passion that rivals even a childs. They believe in themselves, and in their community. It’s funny, as humans we believe that the innocent are childish, that the more cynical you are, the more mature you are. Despite them hunting us, I sometimes feel as if the Fae are more mature than us.’ He paused and went silent. ‘Don’t misunderstand, I would not be like you,’ he said. 

 

 ‘Like me?’ 

 

 ‘You’re more than sympathizing with them now, aren’t you?’ The confident look in his eyes solidified her belief that he was different. He had to be, he had to be different if he saw the truth in her own eyes. ‘I would never see them so familiarly.’ Jinki’s eyes closed and he went silent, as if listening to what was happening in the living room. If she were to be honest, Hyunsu heard nothing, but clearly he got what he wanted because moments later his eyes opened. ‘I want you to do something for me,’ Jinki said as he stood up. He offered his hand out to her, when she held hers out as well, his warm hand encased hers before gently pulling her up. 

 

 ‘What?’ Hyunsu asked as she stared at him questioningly. 

 ‘Don’t be so angry with your parents.’ He leaned towards her, his frown was etched deeply into his face. ‘They aren’t much different from me, you know.’ Jinki instantly caught the doubtful look on her face, they didn’t seem nearly as understanding to her. ‘Before you judge them, ask them what’s going on, okay? Promise me that.’ 

 ‘Fine,’ Hyunsu said with a stiff nod. ‘I’ll do that.’ 

 ‘Good.’ A charming smile replaced his frown as the door to the room opened 

 ‘Jinki, are you heading out now?’ Zuko questioned. He was standing in the doorway with a pensive look on his face. 

 ‘Me?’ Jinki laughed and nodded. ‘Of course, you’re kicking me out right now anyways, right?’ He clapped Zuko on the shoulder before walking by him and the two merchants, before leaving the hut. 

 ‘Okay, Hyunsu, these are the two merchants that are going to help out with Kangchi.’ Zuko first pointed at the man who was sitting in a chair with crossed arms and an annoyed frown curling his lips. ‘That is Howon,’ Hyunsu frowned as her mind instantly connected him to  Hoya . ‘And, that is Myungsoo,’ he said as he pointed at L who was standing behind Hoya, looking out the window. Instantly L turned from the window and looked at Hyunsu with one of his word filled looks. She instantly felt scolded, it was almost as bad as if he had lectured her about ignoring them. 

 ‘Pleased to meet you.’ She bit her lip and bowed in greeting. 

 ‘Yeah, pleased.’ Hyunsu jolted in shock when she heard Hoya’s thickly accented response, he had answered in her own tongue. He was speaking the human language, but, she was sure that he didn’t know it when she had first met them. 

 ‘Howon.’ L scowled at him. ‘I am sorry, he is rude.’ The way he spoke sounded unnatural, and most definitely sounded awkward. She could hear it, the faint slur that came from speaking the Fae language his whole life. It was from how he pronounced his words, his mouth seemed to curl around the words like how they did with his native language. 

 ‘Don’t worry about it,’ Zuko answered with a shake of his head and an easy smile. ‘Nerves are going to be short for the next few days.’ Hyunsu took the moment to stare at them in a way that she wished was accusingly but she would bet was barely threatening. 

 ‘I can’t believe they did that, the Fae must really be dangerous,’ Howon said and Hyunsu could swear he was just speaking to them so that she would be even more confused. She still couldn't figure out how they knew her language. She never even considered that they had gotten a hold of her journal.

 ‘They are.’ Zuko sighed and looked at the corpse and made sure it was firmly wrapped up. ‘You guys would know better then us, travelling through the forest like that. You guys must be used to their actions. It’s disgusting, isn’t it? Mutilating a body like that?’

 ‘What do you mean?’ Hyunsu went to look at the corpse, glaring at her brother when he blocked her off. 

 ‘You shouldn’t look, it’s not something I want you seeing.' He stretched out his hand to keep her away from it. Instead of backing down she glared at him, pushed past him and moved the sheet away from Kangchi, who was still unconcious. 

 As soon as she saw the symbol etched into his chest, a symbol that would be carved into his body forever, her legs gave way. Instantly Zuko stepped forwards to catch her, instead L was the one who stepped forwards and wrapped his arm around her, keeping her balanced as he pressed her back into his chest. 

 What could she say? Hyunsu whimpered, she couldn't scold them, the villagers would find out who they were, what they had done. Could she really send them to their deaths? Her hand covered her mouth as her eyes burned, she had forgotten who they were, she had forgotten how twisted they were, the Fae. How could she forget the hunts? Their sadistic glee? How could she forget that they would willingly harm everyone they knew, simply because of their species. 

 Howon's lips twisted in disgust, he had always known, he knew she wasn't one of them, and here she was proving it. If she couldn't understand why they were doing what they were, why they had to act out, then she would never change. She would always blame them, be filled with the innate belief that she was not, and would never be one of them. He couldn't understand why they had come to save her, to take her back. He couldn't understand why L had volunteered, or why his brother was clutching the girl, giving her the support that her brother could easily give. Why he was helping a girl whose eyes were full of condemnation and regret. Regret that she had  trusted them. 

 'You shouldn't have looked,' Zuko said as he covered Kangchi's chest, his own eyes full of remorse. His shoulders were tense and his gaze was avoiding his sister. He didn't know what to do when a stranger was being so physical with his sister, or why she was even letting him. His eyes narrowed and his fingers gripped at the edge of the cloth, before he turned at glared at L. 'I'll have to ask you to let go of my sister. Things may be different where you come from, but here, strangers aren't so ready to touch others.'

 'I know,' L responded smoothly, keeping his arms securely around the shaking girl. He couldn't help the way he responded to her distress, it was part of who he was. He was always quick to help sooth the emotionally distressed, no matter who it was. To his relief, Hyunsu was being soothed by his actions. He could feel her shuddering smooth out, as she clutched at his arms, staring unseeingly at the bodies on the table. 

 Hyunsu's imagination was full of vibrantly repulsive ideas of how Sooeon's corpse might look under the sheets. Her mind affirmed the most vivid of ideas, growing more aggressive as she stared at the ratty cloth that was covering him. Her mind screamed at her to get away from L, from the perpetrator of such horrors, but she found solace in his presence. No matter what she said to herself to get away from him, she was reminded of each time he supported her, of how he would always treat her right, even he hated her. 

 'Then get your hands off of her.' Zuko's voice rang out in a deep growl. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so aggressive, but he was an older brother, and all he saw was a stranger holding his sister possessively, as if he was the only one who could help her, not her own brother. The fact that he was not ignorant to their customs, and was blatantly ignoring them did not help matters. Zuko was oblivious to his sisters comfort with the man from the caravan, he was not seeing the familiarity she felt with him. Not that it would have eased his raging emotions. 

 'No,' L said stubbornly. His eyes drifted down the the head of hair that was tickling at the bottom of his chin. He could see how unresponsive Hyunsu was, she didn't need conflict, she need serenity, she need the room to be lacking of tenseness; he understood that much. Her nerves were always so easily frazzled, it was worrisome for him. 

 'Excuse me.' Zuko laughed in disbelief, his lips curling as he stared at the stranger. As he straightened, becoming more aggressive looking, Hoya copied his stance, stepping closer. Whether Hoya liked Hyunsu or not didn't matter, what mattered was that the human was threatening his family, and that was enough to make him scowl at Zuko. 

 L didn't repeat his words, he didn't evaluate on anything he had said, he just remained as he was, calming Hyunsu. His fingers rubbed into her dress in soothing circles and he whispered to her, knowing full well that she couldn't hear him, but he got the reaction he wanted. She was relaxing, her breathing was evening out. He couldn't see her eyes, but she was being brought out of her mind, she was becoming more coherent. 

 'Get away from my sister!' Zuko flushed as he watched L touch his sister so intimately (though, for the Fae, it was far from intimacy) his jaw clenched along with his fingers. His eyes flashed to Hoya who was glaring at him like  he was in the wrong, not the stranger that was  fondling his sister. As he again moved to approach them Hoya put his hand at Zuko's chest stopping the older sibling with a threatening scowl. 'You have no right to stop me like this.' 

 Hoya resisted from speaking, there was nothing for him to say. He had made it clear what he felt upon the subject, the brother should not be getting involved, even he understood as much. However, instead of desisting, Zuko glared back at the annoyed Nix and clenched his fists harder. In the moment he should have backed off, he chose instead to lunge at L. Within seconds Hoya's arm snapped out and his palm smacked Zuko's chin, sending the man's head up before Hoya kicked his chest, making the healer hit the wall behind him. 

 Zuko's head spun as he tried to focus his glare on Hoya who had a sheepish twist to his lips, he truly hadn't meant to respond so physically. Instead of recognising the look on Hoya's face Zuko looked at his sister with growing anxiety. Instead of reacting she stared at him with hollow eyes. She looked so lost, but not one bit of her conflict was surrounding the way he had been treated. He saw no reaction at all to what Hoya had done, not even an ounce of worry. She watched the event as if he were some stranger. 

 Maybe she was. Zuko thought as he watched his sister close her eyes and whisper something to L, who nodded before muttering a near silent response. Maybe she was a stranger. His sister had always been adventurous, but she was never the type to blatantly break the rules like she had when she went to see Sooki. She was always sensitive to pain, and complained endlessly from simple cuts, yet she didn't cry out once when their father stitched her wound together. Hyunsu barely uttered a cry of pain whenever she walked on her leg either. She was never the type to seek out physical comfort either, but there she was letting a strange man hug her. 

 'Are you okay?' Hoya turned his head to Hyunsu. Her eyes focused on him, the haze started to leave them. She smiled tentatively before giving him a faint nod of affirmation. He refrained from saying anything else, because he knew what she was struggling to keep in. He knew she was fighting to not break out into a torrent of questions. She was trying not to ask why they would etch their own villages symbols into the chest of a man they let live, why they still cut into him and tortured him afterwards, and what they could have possibly done to Sooeon that she didn't have the chance to see. 

 Hyunsu was finally starting to understand. Neither side was good. The humans were corrupt, yes, they had done horrible things in the past. But the Fae were bitter, and were unable to move past their previous pains. They were like children, she had to admit that much. Jinki was right. The way they maimed and killed the humans they came across, it was born out of a childish resentment. But that didn't mean that the humans were mature, or acted like adults either. They acted like victims when they were the perpetrators. Then, what side was right? Neither was good but surely that couldn't mean that neither was right. 

 'I'll get you some water,' L said as he let go of her. Hyunsu nodded, unable to stop the tense jolt that took over her body when he let go of her. There was still an aching in her soul that needed to be remedied. She knew that physical proximity helped. She wanted to soothe her raging emotions, she didn't want him to let go. 

 'It's in the bucket,' Hyunsu said as she lifted her head. Her gaze landed on her brother who was rubbing the bottom of his chin with a scowl. Zuko met her gaze and Hyunsu gulped, the only things she could see in his eyes were negative. They were accusing, confused, betrayed, and ultimately angry. Angry at L for touching her, angry at Hoya for attacking him, angry at her for doing, and feeling nothing. 

 L pointed to the wooden bucket that was on the counter that had a pale yellow cloth covering it. Hyunsu nodded in affirmation, and so he sent her a faint smile and lifted the cloth, filling a cup with water before walking over to her and handing it to her. 

 'Thank you.' She whispered as she lifted it to her lips and drank some. Hyunsu's lips pressed together as she clutched the cup. The air in the room was tense. Too tense. She wanted to escape. 

 ‘Come with me,’ Hoya said as he grabbed her hand that wasn’t holding the cut. He pulled her towards the door, ignoring Zuko’s protests. Guiding her to put down the cup, he opened the door and lightly pushed her out before closing the door behind them. He made sure to not touch her when they were outside so that they would not bring any attention to them. 

 ‘Where are we going?’ Hyunsu questioned, following after him. Hoya said nothing, instead he looked over at her with arched eyebrows. Pressing her lips together she looked at the muddy ground below them. After a few seconds she lifted her head and looked around the village as they walked. Some of the villagers looked at them, but seemed to pay them no mind. It was no surprise that she would be around one of the visitors, her family were always talking with them to discover new herbs, and to find new medicine. 

 From what she saw, they were heading towards the caravan that was set up by the front of the village. The caravan consisted of a group of carriages, horses, and people. Some of the carriages were dedicated only to carrying supplies, and were by this time half-empty. The other’s served as living carriages in which some of the people would sleep in. The memories Hyunsu had of the living carriages consisted of colourful clothes worn by the sun, and the sweet scent of foreign flowers. 

 ‘Hyunsu?’ 

 ‘Father,’ Hyunsu said with a smile as she looked at Joonho. It was inevitable for her to run into him when they were on their way to the caravans. She supposed that some may be odd that he was spending his time with the caravan when there were injured in his house, but it made sense. He, for one, had to collaborate with the people that found the bodies to find out what they had used on them, and ensured that he knew everything he could about their methods. Also, it was important for him to buy more medical supplies. Before she had left, they were running out of different herbs that hadn’t grown, and no doubt the monsoon had destroyed what was growing outside. 

 ‘Who is this?’ Joonho smiled at Hoya, hiding the critical glint in his eyes. He may be social, and nice to the caravan, but when his daughter was nearly engaged, he didn’t want to see her alone with any men. 

 ‘This is Ho-Howon, he’s come with the caravan. His friend is helping take care of Kangchi. Howon, this is my father.’ She licked her lips, feeling oddly chastised. But most of her felt smug, because she knew why he was upset, and it was in her best interests to stop her engagement. 

 ‘I see, so you’re Myungsoo’s friend.’ Joonho laughed, looking like he was at ease with Hoya. ‘He’s a little curt, but he seems like a nice boy. Where are you two going?’ 

 ‘The caravans,’ Hoya said simply, not evaluating. Before Joonho could open his mouth Hoya smiled dismissively. ‘It was nice to see you, we have to hurry though.’ Then he pulled Hyunsu after him, he didn’t look bothered at all that he treated Hyunsu’s father disrespectfully. Though Hyunsu would never expect him to. Hoya? Nice to a human? That was never his kind of thing. 

 And so he took her to one of the carriages in the back, he moved back the long cloth drape that was covering the entrance, and offered her a hand. Taking his hand, she let him help her into the carriage. When Hyunsu walked into the carriage she was instantly surrounded by the scent of foreign spices that nobody had the money to buy, and the earthy scent of herbs that were in hanging by the beams above them. The carriage was dark, the only light streamed in from windows that were opened, their drapes tied to the side in faded clumps. 

 When Hoya walked in he instantly closed the drapes and lit some of the candles that were set around the room. As the light of the candles filled the room, Hyunsu realised that the room was filled with pillows, cushions, and blankets that were the same style as the ones in the Fae village. He sat down on one then pointed to a cushion opposite him. Hyunsu instantly sat down where he pointed. ‘We need to talk,’ Hoya said in his native language. His eyes were focused on her with their usual dark intensity. 

 ‘I know.’ Hyunsu looked at her lap as she chewed on her lips, before looking back at him. 

 ‘We were sent here to bring you back. But I refuse to take back someone who doesn’t want to be there.’ Hoya’s jaw clenched, showing his true frustration. He understood their need to bring their own people into their fold, he knew why they wanted to help them. He supported that, but he didn’t believe that they should be forcing others into their lifestyle. 

 ‘You’re not taking me back?’ Hyunsu’s eyebrows furrowed as she stared at him. If she spoke to him honestly, she would say she didn’t want to talk with him right then. She was tired and drained. 

 ‘I’m saying it’s your choice.’ Hoya’s body stiffened as he spoke, his voice started sounding more forced. ‘L won’t want to leave you behind no matter what. But I know this much, with how you are, you don’t belong with us. You have been sworn in, you have been accepted, but you lack the want to be with us. Without that, you don’t belong, and I will not accept you.’ 

 ‘I don’t understand,’ Hyunsu said with burning eyes. She felt as if she were going to cry any second. ‘Why did you take me anyways, what did I ever do?’ 

 ‘Your necklace.’ Hoya pointed to where it should have been, as soon as he realised it wasn’t there he took in a deep breath and glared. ‘Where is it. Where is your necklace.’ 

 ‘My father took it, as soon as I came back.’ Hyunsu looked away, trying to ease the stiffening in her chest. ‘Why?’ 

 ‘That’s why we took you.’ Hoya breathed out heavily. ‘He had no right taking it, no human has the right to take your birthright.’ 

 ‘What are you saying!’ Hyunsu flushed as she snapped at him. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said in a calmer voice. ‘Why does the necklace matter, why is it a birthright? I don’t understand.’ 

 ‘The necklace you had, it had a design on it. That design only shows when a Nymph or Nix has it within their grasp.’ Hoya closed his eyes as he spoke, trying to control the frustration he was feeling towards the man he had just met. ‘If a human holds it, then it will show nothing but the smooth rock. When we first saw you, we didn’t see it. But Sunggyu noticed the design on the necklace, the design that only shows for us. That means you are a Nymph. You are one of us.’ 

 ‘What?’ Hyunsu’s mouth opened in shock, she was unable to say a single word. How could she possibly be one of them? How could she not be human? 

 ‘You’re a late starter, Yeonjung. When one of our kind is surrounded by humans, their body still contains their essence, but they have the same fragile body as a human. It’s only when they are with their kind that they start to grow into themselves, and their essence starts to flow through them. We didn’t  take  you, we returned you home.’ 

 ‘Why do you call me that, why do you call me Yeonjung. My name is Hyunsu.’ 

 ‘No,’ Hoya said firmly. ‘That’s the name the humans gave you. We gave you a new name, so that you wouldn’t be restrained by your past, by the people that kept you from becoming your true self. By giving you a new name, we were releasing you, we were accepting you as one of our own.’ He didn’t have to say it, but she knew that such a thing was an honour. Just because a group of Fae took in a Nymph, that didn’t mean they had to go to such lengths for them. Yet, his family did, and they hadn’t even known her at that time. 

 ‘But, my families human.’ Hyunsu’s eyebrows furrowed as she stared at Hoya with eyes that were blurry from tears. ‘My father gave me the necklace the day I ran into them.’ She didn’t need to say who she meant, Hoya knew instantly she meant Sungyeol, Sunggyu, and Woohyun.They were, after all, the one’s who found her. ‘He told me I had to keep it with me, he said that it would keep me safe. When he took it from me, the designs disappeared. That means that he’s human, doesn’t it? Then why did he have it?’ 

 Hoya remained silent and stared at her with unreadable eyes. All she could guess was that he was thinking it through himself. But, what could it possibly mean? Was she really not the child of her parents? Neither of them were Fae, she knew that. They were both born and raised in the village, they could trace their lineage back long enough that there could be no Fae related conspiracies. So then, who was she really? 

 


	10. Chapter 10

Sunggyu crossed his arms, staring seriously out at the trees surrounding him. The plan that Dongwoo had created had been rushed. The caravan that they were able to let through had been on a tight schedule. The leader had been hard to convince, he had his own plans and didn’t see the situation the same as them. It hadn’t taken long for them to encourage him to agree with them, and allow some people to join him. The leader of the caravan, Hwijae, was not a Fae. But neither was he a human. He was one of the few Nix’s that mingled with the humans. Even if the repulsive creatures were unaware of his species. It was the reason why his caravan survived, because his own kind did not seek to destroy him.

 In the end, Hwijae had agreed to only take two people with him. That narrowed down the selection to who could speak the human language. In the end, the two had been L and Hoya. Sungyeol had spent the night laughing. The two that learnt the most of the human language, were two of the three Fae that hated humans the most out of the group of seven. Sungjong had fought to go, he insisted he wouldn’t say a word. Sunggyu scowled and shook his head. The youngest was still hiding out in his room, he was refusing to come out. 

 ‘You’re out here.’ Woohyun stepped up beside Sunggyu. His angular cheeks seemed to twitch as he held in a sigh. ‘What’s wrong.’ It was easy to tell that his elder brother was stressed. 

 Sunggyu had been nagging his brothers all morning, when Sungyeol was practising his formations for fighting, Sunggyu had hounded him for every miniscule misstep. When Dongwoo was using his bow, Sunggyu had constantly stopped him and corrected his methods for aiming. Even Sungjong hadn’t avoided his oldest brother's words. Sunggyu had lectured him through his door on how he was not acting mature, and that blocking out the world would solve nothing. 

 ‘It’s not just the kids that are responsible for what happened.’ Sunggyu sighed heavily, his small eyes narrowing further. ‘We should have also ensured they would not cause trouble.’ His jaw clenched, then he tightened his arms that were crossed over his chest. The black shirt he was wearing rubbed against his pale arms, irritating the bandages. He had challenged the kids when they found them. Sungjong and L also had bandages across their bodies, they had fought out their frustration. 

 It was one of the differences between the Fae and their peaceful counterparts. Nymphs and Nix’s commonly settled their problems through well-placed words and peaceful interactions. The Fae settled their problems through well-placed words, and fights. They didn’t seek to kill their opposites, instead they fought until they were tired or found their point was made known. It was an odd change to their culture, and to outsiders it seemed to make no sense. But they found their resolution in their methods.  

 ‘Where is Dongwoo?’ Sunggyu asked. His body felt heavy from the muggy air that was trapped within the leaves of the forest. Their village was set at the top of the forest not to avoid the humans (they had no reason to fear weaker beings) but so they could escape the suffocating humidity of the forest. The closer to the top they were, the more wind could make it’s way to their village. But Sunggyu’s spot wasn’t near the village, it was close to the bottom of the forest floor. 

 ‘He is being spoken to by the Balancers.’ Woohyun ran a gloved hand through his hair, making the neat hair lose it’s place. When the Balancers had discovered what happened, Dongwoo had been in trouble. It didn’t matter that it was his little brothers that had caused trouble, because he was Yeonjung’s guardian, it was his fault. He should have been watching her, it was his job. But he had barely spent any time around her for the past six months. He had almost stopped speaking when she learned how to understand them. 

 ‘I see.’ Sunggyu’s lips curled into a frown. It would be good for Dongwoo to be scolded, despite being the second eldest, he had let his biases cloud his judgment. ‘Yeonjung made have been raised a human, but that’s no reason to hate her.’ 

 ‘He doesn’t see it that way.’ Woohyun frowned, his eyebrows that were usually arched in an amused manner looked scrunched and confused. ‘He said she was a human. He doesn’t believe that she is one of us.’ A bird called out from above them before swooping down in front of them, disappearing into the bushes. 

 Instead of speaking Sunggyu remained silent. It was true that Dongwoo refused to accept her, but the idea that she was truly a human was impossible. He couldn’t think of a single way that a human would be able to make the necklace light up like she did. As he thought, his fingers drifted to his own amulet that was hanging off of his belt. His gloved fingers glossed over it as his eyebrows furrowed. It was simple fact that the pendant would not light up with her touch if she were a human simply because it reacted to the Nymph essence. Without the essence they had, the pendant would simply be a rock hanging off of a chain. Granted, it would be a  sacred rock hanging off of a chain, but a rock nonetheless. 

 ‘Do you understand it?’ Woohyun’s lips pulled into a tired smile as he crossed his arms. ‘Nothing short of inheritance can change the outcome.’ 

 Hearing Woohyun’s words, Sunggyu scoffed before smiling. ‘That is true, brother.’ He went silent again, closing his eyes as he listened to the rustling caused by the little animals that scurrying through the foliage. ‘You have heard the story of the old man and the dokkaebi, correct?’ 

 ‘Where the old man starts turning into one because he had tea with it once a day?’ Woohyun’s lips pursed as he sounded a hum of affirmation. ‘I have.’ 

 ‘Do you remember what the old man did when he looked into the lake and saw his transformed figure?’ At the small shake of Woohyun’s head, Sunggyu continued talking with a quirk in his lips. ‘The man got angry and ran home, when the dokkaebi he had befriended knocked, the old man yelled at it and denounced its relationship. Because he had not yet completely changed, he returned to normal after a long wait. The change had started on the outside, and had not yet made it’s way in. If he had changed inside first, it would have been too late for him.’ 

 ‘What are you saying?’ Woohyun let out an airy scoff as he looked at his elder brother. 

 ‘Nothing,’ Sunggyu said with a sigh. His brown eyes lifted to the sky that was covered by layers of branches and leaves. He could feel a burden he hadn’t known was pressing on his chest dissolve as his caught the tiniest sliver of blue. 

 ‘Sure.’ Woohyun laughed and shook his head. ‘How do you think they are doing?’ 

 ‘Well enough. They can’t fail this.’ It could have meant that the duo had no choice but to succeed, but Woohyun was surprised when instead of threatening certainty, Sunggyu spoke with assured confidence, as if there was simply no way they could fail. 

 ‘Right,’ he said softly before looking up at the covered sky as well. Unlike Sunggyu, he didn’t have the same overwhelming confidence in his brothers. 

  
  
 

 Hoya exited the caravan with a mix of emotions. He felt a sense of resolution, he had given her an ultimatum that he knew she needed, but, he also felt empathy for her. Yeonjung had gone through a lot over the past six months. His lips twisted as he remembered the first day she had been with them, how broken she had looked. He couldn’t have been more glad when she had run away. 

 Sighing he picked up a bowl and poured some water in it before quietly pushing it into the caravan. Hoya focused his eyes on the people walking around, trying to ignore the sobs that she was trying to stifle. He pulled his hand out of the caravan as soon as he placed a cloth beside the bowl. He had left the bowl of water so that she could wash her face. He doubted she would want to walk around with tear stained cheeks. 

 'What did you tell her?' The friendly trilling sound of Nympheon brought his attention to L who had stepped up beside him. 

 'The truth,' Hoya said as he ran his hand through his hair. He caught the worried look his brother had when he looked at the caravan, no doubt hearing her crying. 'What happened with her brother?' 

 'I resolved the issue.' L’s lips curled into a smirk as he looked at Hoya. 'He said you’re no longer welcome in their house.' 

 'Yet he’s letting you stay.' Hoya commented. L was always good at getting on people’s good side, so Hoya wasn’t surprised that he had managed to change the older brother’s mind. 

 'I didn’t attack him.' L shifted uncomfortably when some of the people in the caravan looked at them. 'Hoya, what truth did you tell her?' His eyebrows furrowed with worry as he listened to her quiet, badly suppressed, crying. 

 'I refuse to take her back.' Hoya said bluntly as he walked away, distancing himself from the girl that only served as a distraction. 'I know you told her the story of the clam and the rock. Right now, she’s the clam that refuses to open. I won’t take her back if she doesn’t want to go, she’ll just hurt the people around her, you know that.' 

 'I understand,' L said as his eyes clouded. They almost didn’t go to the village to get Yeonjung at all. Sunggyu was pushing for it, but the balancers were wary for the same reasons as Hoya. And him, if he were to honest, he didn’t want to see his family hurt. But he had supported Sunggyu, even when Woohyun sided with the balancers, despite liking her, even when Sungjong hid himself in his room, refusing to comment. She belonged with them. 'We’ve gone this far, I don’t want to go back with nothing to show.' 

 'I know,' Hoya said, 'I just want to be out of here as soon as possible. Being around so many humans.' He scowled and gave a faint shake of his shoulders, as if trying to get residue off of him. 

 'Is the girl okay?' Hoya and L both went quiet as Hwijae approached them. The caravan leader adjusted his glasses as he looked at the two boys. 

 ‘She is,’ Hoya answered. He walked further from the caravan, eager to put enough space between himself and the late starter. 

 ‘Howon,’ Hwijae said. As the young adult turned to look at him, Hwijae sighed while his eyes bunched in worry for the girl. ‘The others can hear her crying.’ 

 ‘She’s fine,’ Hoya responded, his voice was short clipped. He didn’t want to talk about her, he didn’t want to think about her, all it did was remind him of the hopeless looks she was giving him. 

 ‘Let’s go talk.’ Hwijae sighed, clicking his tongue as he led the two Nix away from the caravans. ‘Women.’ He heaved another sigh. ‘Women are complicated, you cannot talk to them as abrasively as you do with men. They are emotional, so they value it when things are explained to them respectively.’

 ‘You want me to go in circles?’ Hoya’s thick eyebrows furrowed, then he looked at L who looked just as confused. 

 ‘No, no, most appreciate things being straightforward.’ They approached a long rectangular building that felt more like an afterthought than part of the village. The entrance was at the side of the building, and along the width of it, where the door would usually be, were numerous windows. 

 ‘You just said not to be blunt,’ L said as Hwijae lead them into a building. As soon as they entered the building the heavy scent of smoke and baked bread surrounded them. The smoke came from the countless candles that surrounding the room, giving off faint balls of light that danced through the ever-intruding shadows. 

 ‘No, I said not to be abrasive. They don’t like things being dished on them heartlessly, instead things should be said with sincerity.’ Hwijae guided them to one of the two tables in the room One was in the corner beside the door, the other was at the end of the room on the other side. To get to their table they had to walk along the length of the bar that had six chairs, only two were filled, and contained strangers to the trio that had just walked in. ‘How sincere were you?’ He asked as they sat down. As the table was circular, the three sat facing the door as much as they could without looking odd. 

 Hoya remained silent, he did not know how to react. He felt he was sincere, but at the same time, he had a feeling that his sincerity was not the type Hwijae was speaking of. ‘I told her what I thought. I answered her questions.’ 

 ‘So, you told her the truth harshly, and didn’t try to reassure her in anything?’ L questioned with a faint quirk to his lips. Sighing, with the knowledge that he couldn’t get out of it, Hoya nodded. 

 ‘You cannot do that with women.’ Hwijae shook his head as the man from behind the bar approached them. 

 ‘What do you want?’ Minhyuk stared at them with a bland expression. The scar that ran along his cheek stood out in the candle light. 

 ‘We’ll take three drinks, and some bread.’ Hwijae looked at the two Fae in front of him, physically dismissing the scarred human. 

 ‘I don’t see why not,’ Hoya said with a scoff. ‘Women are not so different from men, I see no reason to treat them differently.’ It didn’t make sense to him, he always treated the Nymphs at home the same way he would treat the Nixes. They never complained. 

 ‘Talking about women?’ Minhyuk questioned as he placed down three large mugs of the new mead, as well as a plate with a loaf of bread. ‘They’re tricky aren’t they?’ His pale lips pulled into a smile, making the scar on his face move. ‘You guys know Hyoheon, right? He’s the blacksmith’s son. He’s engaged to Hyunsu.’

 ‘Engaged?’ L echoed as he looked over at Hwijae questioningly, it was another of the many words that he didn’t know the meaning of. 

 ‘When will they be married?’ Hwijae asked as his calloused fingers wrapped around the handle of the mug. Unlike the word engaged, the two Nixes knew what married meant. L looked at Hoya with a panicked look, they couldn’t just take her if she got married, that wouldn’t be right. To take someone from their mate? He had no idea that there was someone she fancied here. 

 ‘As soon as possible.’ Minhyuk rolled his eyes as if he thought of something humerous. ‘Nobody understands her, Hyoheon is  the bachelor in town, but she acts like she doesn’t want to. Her parents accepted the marriage, but when she heard she ran around acting dramatic. It was the day she was taken by those monsters.’ His palm grazed over his cheek before he prodded it with a finger violently. ‘I got this from them, the first time we tried to save her. I got a scar and lost my cousin.’ He growled out the last sentence angrily, not noticing the shared looks between the Nix at the table. 

 ‘Really? You fought a Nix?’ Hoya asked, his tone was clearly mocking. He knew what happened, the Fae didn’t actually fight anyone off, instead, they scared the stupid humans away. 

 ‘Yeah, they really are monsters, you know that, right?’ Minhyuk shook his head as he crossed his arms. ‘After Hyoheon marries Hyunsu, he’s planning on storming their village, he wants to burn the forest to the ground.’ 

 ‘Really?’ Hoya gritted his teeth and gripped his pants with his free hand, the other was encased around the metal handle. 

 ‘Of course, they don’t deserve to live. Monsters like that are meant to be destroyed.’ Minhyuk nodded as if agreeing with himself. 

 ‘About Hyunsu,’ Hwijae said immediately after, ‘what’s going on with that? Does she not want to be married?’ It was obvious to L that he was trying to divert the topic before Hoya had the chance to jump the oblivious human and rip him to shreds. 

 ‘She  acts like she doesn’t want to get married, but she does. Every girl wants to marry Hyoheon, she just doesn’t know that she’s the same yet.’ As the door opened, Minhyuk instantly grinned and nodded to the male that walked in. ‘Enjoy your drinks,’ he said before walking to the door, instantly starting to talk to the new man. 

 Hwijae sighed as he looked at the two disturbed males sitting at the table with him. That had not gone how he wanted it. He adjusted his glasses, watching as Hoya violently tore a piece of bread off of the loaf. 

 ‘Is that how they view marriage?’ L questioned with a disgusted look etched into his features. For the Fae, marriage was something done between a Nix and a Nymph that were in love. It was an eternal promise, not something forced upon unwilling partners. That moment made something click in his mind, making him remember when she had run away the first time. he remembered the way she cried, how her emotions seemed to penetrate the air around her, how hopeless she had looked. In that instant he felt the same warmth that had fled through his body at that time, leaving it tense and stiff. 

 ‘Who cares how they view marriage,’ Hoya growled out. ‘They want to slaughter our people. I can’t allow that.’ L sighed and tore off a piece of bread as he realised the origin of the feeling, it was rather simple, the feeling was protectiveness. He wanted to support her. After meeting her, she seemed to meld into his life perfectly as if she was supposed to be with the Fae. Not with the humans that disrespected something as honourable and sacred as marriage. 

 ‘They won’t be able to.’ Hwijae looked around the room cautiously before leaning in. ‘Lower your voice, if you speak too loudly someone might hear.’ The two Fae looked at each other with frustrated looks, both upset for different reasons. After a moment of silence L chewed on a piece of bread and Hoya drank some of the mead, before gagging. Hwijae pinched the bridge of his nose holding in a sigh when the Fae put his mug on the table and pushed it away like a picky child. 

 And of course, because the two were so emotionally burdened because of Hyoheon, said human walked into the bar. Hoya stood up only for Hwijae to shake his head, encouraging him to sit back down. ‘Don’t do it, Howon.’ The Nix reluctantly sat down, looking over at L whose jaw was clenched as he stretched his hands out on his thighs, trying to ease the tension that was going through his body. ‘Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.’ 

 ‘Okay.’ L nodded and sucked in a deep breath, focusing on calming himself. He couldn’t guarantee that Hoya wouldn’t attack the oblivious human male, but at least he could try and make himself at peace. Then, Hyoheon opened his mouth. 

  
 

 ‘Are you okay?’ As soon as Hyunsu walked into the house, Zuko gripped her shoulders and looked her over. He sighed fretfully as he took in his sister's pink, swollen eyes. When she left, she got dragged away by the awful boy who had punched him. Now, she was coming back home with tear stained eyes. At this rate, he was going to have to kick Howon out of their house. He had told Myungsoo that Howon was no longer welcome, but he needed his parents permission to fully enact upon his feelings. 

 ‘We need to talk.’ Hyunsu closed the door behind her and rubbed her eyes. ‘Is anyone else in the house?’ She didn’t want to have this conversation, but she couldn’t wait, not after what Hoya had said. She needed to know the truth, she needed to know who she was. Her parents had not told her anything, but Zuko had always told her what she wanted. She needed him to continue with that and tell her what she was. 

 ‘No.’ Zuko paused before stepping away from her. He felt a rush of nervous energy go through his body as he looked into his sister's unexpectedly serious eyes. ‘Our parents are arranging the wedding with Hyoheon’s family.’ He didn’t miss the grimace that flashed across Hyunsu’s face. ‘What do you want to talk about?’ He walked across the carpet and sat down on the couch. 

 ‘We all know that when people,’ Hyunsu spoke softly, choking on her words as images of defiled bodies flashed in her mind. ‘People get taken by the Fae, they don’t come back safe. They get abused. But, I’m fine. That’s not  normal ,’ she drew in a shaky breath as she spoke. Her eyes started to burn again, but she forced the tears down, she had cried enough. 

 ‘It’s not,’ Zuko whispered. 

 ‘Why was I so different?’ Instead of answering her brother looked away from her and ran his hand through his hair. ‘You know,’ she said. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at her brother as she spoke again, with more conviction. ‘You know why, tell me. Why did they not hurt me?’ 

 ‘I don’t know.’ 

 ‘You’re lying.’ Hyunsu stared in disbelief as his cheeks flushed in shame. 

 ‘They won’t take you back if you’re married.’ Zuko hesitated before looked at his sister. ‘He’s not that bad, you know? At least if you marry him, we’ll get to see you.’ 

 ‘I don’t want to talk about that.’ Hyunsu flushed with anger. ‘I want to know the truth.’ 

 ‘The truth is that you need to stop fighting! We’re trying to help you survive. Hyoheon is the lesser evil.’ Zuko started shifting uncomfortably in his seat as he watched his sister stare at him with growing frustration. 

 ‘Stop avoiding the subject! Am I, or am I not human!’ 

 ‘You-’ Zuko leaned back in his seat. ‘You think you’re not human?’ 

 ‘I don’t know anymore.’ She tugged at the collar of her dress, the longer the conversation went on, the more restricted she felt. 

 Zuko remained silent and instead covered his face with his hands. What could he say? If he told her anything, she would puzzle it out and his parents told him that under no circumstances could she know what happened. If she knew, she might tip of the Fae then she would be killed. He wouldn’t let that happen. 

 ‘Am I even your sister?’ Before he could answer the door swung open to show Hoya helping L in, who was covering an eye and had a bloody arm. The Nix duo were followed by Minhyuk who was helping Hyoheon in, the latter was holding a bloody hand to his nose. For a moment Hyunsu was in a state of confusion and completely forgot about her identity dilemma because it was  L who had gotten into a fist fight, not Hoya. 

 ‘We need help,’ Hoya said as he sat L down on a chair at the table. Instantly Hyunsu had grabbed an apron and put it on. 

 ‘My  fiancée will help me.’ Hyoheon’s words were barely understandable and from that alone, Hyunsu could tell that L had hit him well and broken the blacksmiths nose. His words caused L to glare at him and Hoya to rest his hands on his younger brothers shoulders to stop him from jumping up and attacking Hyoheon again. 

 ‘What happened?’ Zuko questioned as he walked over to L to treat him. He sent a not so hidden look over to his sister, urging her to care for Hyoheon. 

 ‘Hyoheon decided to celebrate his upcoming marriage, and that hothead decided to attack him.’ Minhyuk glared at L who scoffed in response. ‘Apparently he has a crush on your little sister. You do know that someone who runs around in a caravan won’t get a girl like her, right?’ 

 ‘I don’t want to marry her.’ L snapped. ‘I don’t mean to offend your character, Hyunsu.’ He looked at her before focusing on the wooden flooring below him. 

 Hyunsu remained silent and instead picked up the bucket of disinfecting water they made fresh that day, and carried it to the table. She moved Hyoheon’s hand away from his nose before wiping it with a cloth. Her nose wrinkled as she looked at the misshapen nose. ‘I’m going to need you to keep still, don’t move.’ She mentally sighed in relief when he didn’t speak. Hyunsu gripped the crooked cartilage and with a fluid snap of her wrist she moved the nose into place. She ignored his cry of pain as he collapsed against the chair. She gently massaged his nose, ignoring his winces and groans of disapproval. It was important to make sure that the blood was flowing properly. 

 ‘What are you doing?’ Minhyuk said. 

 ‘Helping him, cut a potato as fine as you can, I need one and a half slices.’ Hyunsu gently wiped the blood that was starting to run again. 

 ‘I’ll need some as well, make it four slices overall.’ Zuko called out from where he was looking at the black eyes that L was starting to get. 

 ‘What’ll that do.’ Minhyuk scowled as he cut the vegetable. 

 ‘It helps lower the swelling.’ Zuko answered as he stepped away from L. There wasn’t much to do for a black eye then decrease swelling and let it rest. Because it wasn’t winter, there was no way to get something cold enough to ease the swelling. 

 It wasn’t until Hyunsu was laying the slices of potato onto his nose that she realised why he wasn’t talking. Hyoheon was arrogant, he thought he was perfect. He couldn’t stand the thought of speaking when he sounded so distorted. She could barely hold in a scoff as she wrapped a cloth around his face to hold both the potato slices in place, and help the nose keep in position. ‘Come back in thirty minutes, then we’ll switch out the slices. Drink as much water as you can.’ Hyoheon only grunted, glaring at L before he walked out of her house. Minhyuk followed diligently. 

 ‘That was the most quiet I have ever heard him.’ She said to herself before wiping her hands with the apron. Hyunsu watched as Zuko washed the gash on L’s arm before putting the standard pumice on it and wrapping it. She wasn’t surprised to see he had wrapped the wound tighter than necessary. She also wasn’t surprised to see that L didn’t seem to even notice. 

 She followed her brother into the kitchen when he started cleaning up the potato. ‘Can’t you just answer? Yes or no.’ 

 ‘Hyunsu.’ Zuko’s voice was strained, as if he pleading her to stop asking. 

 ‘I need to know, I have to, please.’ Hyunsu grabbed his arm as he went to leave the kitchen. ‘Just answer that one question. Am I your sister, yes or no.’ Zuko looked out to the front room where L and Hoya were sitting close to each other whispering. ‘Zuko.’ 

 He clenched his eyes shut, grimacing. ‘No.’ 

* * *

 

‘We need to stop the wedding.’ L said. The caravan did not leave until the day after the next. From what he heard, the wedding was tomorrow. Nothing could be done unless they took her out that night or in the early morning.

‘No we don’t. We only need to stop the wedding if she’s coming with us, we don’t know that she will.’ Hoya crossed his arms ignoring the look that flashed across his brothers face.

‘We don’t know that she will?’ L’s face contorted in disbelief as he looked at Hoya. ‘Do you really believe she would stay behind with these  humans .’ The word had evolved for L since he had arrived. He hadn’t come to peace with the species, instead, his view on them worsened. It took all he had to not just grab Yeonjung and run. His eyebrows scrunched together as he looked at Yeonjung, or rather, Hyunsu. He couldn’t see her the way the humans did, he couldn’t understand how they saw what they did. It was like he saw a completely different person than they did.

‘I don’t know, maybe.’ Hoya scowled at the bandage wrapping L’s arm, mentally chastising him for being hurt by a human. His younger brother should have known better than to let himself be hurt by an inferior being. 

‘I want to go.’ L and Hoya both looked over at Hyunsu who had spoken loudly. The brothers looked at her before looking at each other in confusion. She couldn’t possibly be speaking to  them . There was no way she heard them speaking, she hadn’t changed yet, at least, not physically.

‘What are you saying? Go where?’ Zuko looked over at the two strangers with a flustered expression before he looked back at his sister. It was obvious that those two were some of the last people he wanted hearing the conversation. But there was nothing he could do, his sister was insisting.

‘I’m not talking to you,’ Hyunsu said with a huff as she walked away from her brother. ‘The people I’m talking to know what I mean.’ Hoya felt an incredulous smile creep onto his face as he looked at L. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was actually choosing them? What did her brother say to her?

‘Hyunsu!’ Zuko’s voice was strained as he followed after her. ‘Don’t misunderstand, that’s not what I meant!’

‘Then what did you mean?’ She stopped at the front door and stared at her brother with a challenging look.

‘I don’t want to talk with them around.’ Zuko lowered his voice, unaware that the duo could hear him either way.

‘I don’t care.’ Hyunsu’s face was void of any emotion the only sign that she was upset was the judging glare that was in her eyes. L felt an uncomfortable jolt when he realised that her expression was the same as Sunggyu’s when he was upset. Apparently she was picking up more from them than he realised. ‘This isn’t something to joke about or take lightly. It can’t wait. So, did you mean what you said? Just tell me that.’

Zuko sighed heavily and looked away from her, focusing on the fireplace. During his silence Hoya looked at L questioningly, the two had been too busy talking to know what the siblings had been talking about earlier. ‘I did, it’s true.’ Zuko finally said. He looked at his sister slowly, regret was evident in his eyes. ‘Hyunsu?’

‘I’m going to see Sooki.’ Hyunsu tugged on her shoes, not looking at anyone in the room.

‘You can’t! You’re not allowed to!’ Zuko panicked and grabbed his sister’s arm. ‘If you’re caught you’ll get in trouble.’ Instantly, Hoya found his interest growing. What kind of person could make the humans panic at the thought of Hyunsu seeing them?

‘I don’t care. If I’m not going to get answers from you then Sooki is my only choice. She’ll know, and she will tell me.’ With a jerk, Hyunsu pulled away from her brother and walked out of the house.

‘Why can’t she see this, Sooki, woman?’ Hoya questioned as he watched Zuko stare conflicted at the door.

‘Because she’s not a woman.’ He reluctantly answered. ‘Sooki is the only Nymph in the village.’ Instantly Hoya snorted, she couldn’t be a Nymph. They hadn’t seen a single female with a pendant. No Nymph or Nix would ever willingly go without their pendant, even after they became human. ‘Why are you laughing?’ Zuko glared at Hoya. Obviously, his view on him had not changed, and it had no reason to.

‘It’s silly, don’t you think? To stop your sister from meeting with a Nymph. Meeting with one will do nothing to her. So why stop it.’ Hoya stared at Zuko patronizingly as he waited for an answer. Instead of answering, Zuko scowled and left the house. ‘That was interesting.’ He muttered before looking at L who had a smile on his face. ‘What?’

‘Did you hear her?’ L’s smile curled into a smirk as he settled into his seat, his whole countenance was arrogant. ‘She just chose us. She said she’d leave with us.’ Hoya’s eyebrows furrowed as an uncomfortable expression flashed across his face. ‘What?’ L sat up, his lips curling into a slanted smile as he shot his brother a knowing look. ‘What’s wrong.’

‘Nothing.’ Hoya scowled and walked past his brother. He pressed his palm into his chest as if that would get rid of the feeling that had unbiddingly flooded his body.

‘She’s one of us, Hoya. There’s nothing wrong with feeling that way.’ L stood up and stepped towards his brother. ‘She’s  family . And just like we won’t leave without her, she won’t let us leave without her. She can feel the calling. I know she can.’

‘We don’t know that,’ Hoya said with a growl. ‘She isn’t Yeonjung.’

‘Not yet,’ L admitted. ‘But she will be.’ Hoya frowned and looked at his brother. How could he be so sure? He didn’t want to admit that he was always feeling something different with her. He wanted to refuse the feeling he was receiving from her as much as possible. But he didn’t know if he could do that much longer. 

  
 

 

 

In the end, Hyunsu hadn’t seen Sooki like she had wanted. Instead, she got pulled off course by her mother who had started talking to her about wedding details. She hadn’t gotten most of what was being said, she had purposefully blocked it out. The one thing she had hoped to hear was that Hyoheon would cancel the wedding because he couldn’t stand the thought of it being held when he had a broken nose, but no such luck.

That was why she was currently glaring at her own reflection, scowling at the white clad bride. And the dress was, indeed, white. It turned out that Hyoheon’s family had bought it from the caravan for her the day before. Hyunsu would have thought that it was a pretty dress, except for who bought it and why. The body of the dress was made with a thick cloth and was loosely covered with a thin white netting that had multiple flowers stitched into it. The same netting also covered her arms and was used for a veil. As her eyes drifted to the veil, she clasped it with a scowl. She changed her mind, the dress was suffocating her. Did it  have  to cover her whole body?

‘How are you doing?’ Buyoung smiled as she walked into the room. Her eyes were full of pride as she looked at her daughter.

‘How do you think,’ Hyunsu said with a scowl as she turned to stare at her mother. As soon as she spoke, she closed her eyes, wincing as she looked away. ‘I’m sorry.’ Swallowing whatever negative words might have come out, she focused on her own reflection again. ‘I don’t want to do this.’ She felt regret after speaking that way to her mother, caretaker, whatever category the woman fell into. 

‘I know.’ Buyoung rested her hands on her daughter's shoulders. ‘But you have to, it will keep you  safe. ’

‘Why not Jinki? Why Hyoheon? Why can’t it be anyone but him.’ Hyunsu’s voice cracked with desperation as she looked at her mother, begging her matriarch to cancel the ceremony.

‘You know Jinki is promised already.’ Buyoung sighed and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the stinging that was signalling tears. ‘I wish I could do more for you.’ She sighed and looked at Hyunsu through the mirror.

‘Zuko told me I wasn’t his sister.’ Instantly Buyong let go of her and stumbled back.

‘Did he?’ She sniffed and looked away, trying to hide the paling of her face from Hyunsu. ‘What else did he say?’ Her voice cracked with guilt as she walked towards the window, refusing to look over at the bride.

‘Nothing else.’ Hyunsu felt her jaw clench, she had wanted her mother to refuse, to fight against it, instead she had retreated. She felt  guilty of all things.

‘Good, that’s all you need to know.’

‘No, it’s not. Am I even your daughter? How can I be your daughter if I’m not Zuko’s sister?’ Hyunsu’s voice shook as she glared at the woman she had once trusted with her whole being. Now, she most certainly did not trust her. In fact, she wasn’t even sure what she felt for the woman. Were they related?

‘Not anymore,’ Buyong said with a trembling voice.

‘Anymore?’ Hyunsu echoed. What did that even mean? This wasn’t making it better, in fact, everything Hyunsu was hearing made it worse. 

‘I-I’ll leave you to calm down. Don’t want you getting the jitters on your wedding day.’ Buyoung’s body shook as she exited the room.

‘Jitters?’ Hyunsu stared down her reflection in the mirror, trying to ignore the helpless face looking back at her. ‘That’s the least of my worries.’ She grasped the dress and lifted it, testing the weight. ‘I need to go. I need to. But I can’t.’ She dropped the skirt of the dress with a scowl. ‘Can I?’ She just wanted to go, she wanted to run. She wanted to go back to the forest and not come back.

‘I’ll get you out.’ Hyunsu sucked in a breath as she turned around as fast as she could. Her dress ballooned around her, swishing in the warm air. Hoya stared at her with a clenched jaw and folded arms. ‘L and I won’t be able to follow you, it’ll raise suspicion. But I can get you on your way to the forest.’

‘You would do that?’

‘Of course.’ Hoya said as he looked away from her. He hated the way his words filled her with visible hope. If he were honest, he would admit that he had wanted her to stay with the humans. He had wanted her to get married to the strange human man and to never invade his own world again. But, he had no right to keep her from it if she wanted to be there. ‘You have to understand if I help you now, then you can  never  come back here. You won’t be able to say goodbye. So, what are you going to do?’ Hyunsu faltered and looked back at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t know.

 

 

 

 

 When L entered the room that Hyunsu was supposed to be, it was empty. He gritted his teeth as the thought that he was too late crossed his mind. That was quickly destroyed when Hyoheon stormed into the room, his face was flushed, and his nose had a thin layer of grime from the potato slices that had been put on top of his nose. All L could say about the leftover suds, was that they did their job and Hyoheon's nose wasn't nearly as swollen and bruised as it could have been.

 'Where is she?' Hyoheon growled out as he started pacing the room, he didn't seem to notice L, instead he seemed to be focused on the floor as he searched for signs of Hyunsu.

 'It seems she got the jitters.' Aeko trailed after him with a scowl on her face. Her eyes flickered to L before she focused her attention on the young blacksmith again. 'You shouldn't be surprised, she's always been like this. Have you seen her?' Finally Aeko acknowledged L who responded by looking away. 'Sure.' She rolled her eyes, not surprised by the way he was ignoring her. The members of the caravans were always extreme in their social lives, either they were overly eager to talk and socialize, or they were like him and were cold towards outsiders.

 'It's my wedding day,' Hyoheon said, talking as if Aeko had never spoken a word. 'How  dare she disappear on my wedding day.'

 'It's her day too.' L lifted his eyes to meet Hyoheon. They both stared the other down without saying a word. Aeko shuffled in discomfort, not understanding the flood of conversation that was occurring between the two men.

 Snorting, Hyoheon crossed his arms, with a move he ended their wordless argument. 'She was supposed to be watched over, she has a habit of getting scared. She's weak, that's why she needs me. Women need a strong hand to guide them, a man to lead them through their uncertainty.' His lips curled into a smirk as a look of contempt overcame his heavily set face. Instead of responding, L's chin lifted as he stared Hyoheon down. With a small scoff and a roll of his eyes L walked out the door. If Hyunsu really was missing that meant that he should be spending his time finding her, not continuing his talk with the hunk of rotten meat in the corner of the room.

 'I can't find her in any of her usual places.' Zuko announced as he walked by L to Hyoheon. The albino stared at L suspiciously as they passed each other, for some reason he felt uncomfortable around Howon and Myungsoo (as the humans knew them). He felt like he had to watch his back whenever they were around. He was validated in his thoughts, because as the feeling of paranoia started gnawing at him, L was glaring at him and considering deaths that were fitting for a human like Zuko. Someone who would willingly desecrate pure acts like marriage. 

 Before he could hear more, L left the building. His eyes scanned the ground as he looked for signs of Hyunsu leaving. The dirt around him was well-trampled, but there were no signs of her. Stuffing his hands in his pockets again, he circled around the house, when he came to the window of the room he caught two sets of footprints leading from the house. His lips parted as he breathed out a heavy breath of disbelief. Crouching to get closer to the prints, he confirmed what he already knew. Hoya had lead Hyunsu out of the house. His eyes followed the marks towards the small shack that contained animals.

 'What are you doing back here?' L turned and raised his eyebrows at Hoya who stared back blankly, pretending he had no idea what L was mutely questioning.

 'Did you hide the rope?' He questioned as he came to understand the conflicted expression that was on Hoya’s face. 

 'Of course.' Hoya nodded his head to the rope that was neatly coiled around a wooden placer that was in the outer wall of the shed. L gave a faint nod to acknowledge that he heard Hoya as his hand gripped the pendant he was supposed to give Hyunsu. Their job would be harder than hers. They had to come off as completely innocent to a group of paranoid humans that would be panicking and looking for her. He felt his head start to throb as someone started yelling in the background. They had two more days of this before they could leave, just two more days. 

 

 ‘I don’t understand how she left!’ L covered his face as he listened to Hyoheon pace around the room. Somehow, Hyoheon seemed to think that L cared what he thought and made sure that he was in the room with his other buddies. ‘We had the gate of the village closed so that everyone could join.’ 

 ‘Maybe she’s not gone. She could just be hiding.’ Minhyuk said as he crossed his arms. ‘Have we checked the caravans.’

 ‘What are you insinuating? That we helped her?’ L scowled at the human who stared back at him with a suspicious glint in his eyes. 

 ‘How do we know you didn’t. It’s rather odd, don’t you think, that you attacked Hyoheon so suddenly. In fact, ever since you got here all you’ve done is fight.’

 ‘Minhyuk!’ Hyoheon snapped, ‘leave him alone.’ No, L couldn’t understand the sudden camaraderieship the human male felt for him. He could only hope that it would help keep attention off of him and Hoya. ‘We’ll ask the leader of the caravans if their stuff could be looked through. Hyunsu might have hidden there without asking.’ 

 ‘I’ll talk to Hwijae for you, but I can’t guarantee his response.’ L watched as Hyoheon gave him a pleased look, he couldn’t help but feel dirty because of it. He hated that human, the one who disrespected the very idea of marriage. 

 ‘Thank you. I’ll talk to Zuko, he would know the kind of place she would hide out in.’ 

 ‘So do you.’ Minhyuk scowled, acting as if it weren’t strange that Hyoheon knew as much about the girl that hated him as her brother. ‘Look, we don’t need some strangers help.’ 

 ‘We’ll need all the help we can get.’ Hyoheon crossed his arms and glared at the air. ‘We need to make sure we stay strong until we can launch an attack on the Fae.’ Hyoheon’s reminder of his plan sparked thoughts in L’s mind. Things he could do. L turned away so that the humans couldn’t see him as his lips curled into a small smirk. As the humans tried to find Hyunsu, he and his brother could stall the event. They could find ways to sabotage the humans before they even began. 

 ‘I will go find Hoya, then, we will look for Hyunsu.’ L looked back at the humans with his usual blank expression. ‘Any ideas where to start?’ 

 ‘I don’t care, she just needs to be found.’ 

 ‘Okay.’ L walked out of the room and instantly sought Hoya out. The further he walked, the more his lips curled into an arrogant smirk, and his eyes started to spark with mischievous light. ‘Howon!’ He called out when he saw his brother staring up at the sky. 

 ‘Myungsoo,’ Hoya said as he turned to look at L. ‘What is it?’ 

 ‘We’re looking for  Hyunsu .’ His shoulder brushed against Hoya’s as he leaned towards him. ‘The humans are looking for her, we should stage it, so it looks like she was kidnapped.’ 

 ‘Why?’ Hoya looked at his brother out of the corner of his eyes, as his thick eyebrows furrowed. 

 ‘They are going to attack us no matter what. We need to start getting the upper hand  now . Hyoheon will take charge, that’s how he is. And if he believes we took her from him right before the wedding, he’ll be infuriated. The more we make him believe that he is right, the easier we will be able to surprise him.’ 

 ‘Then we’ll need to build some evidence.’ Hoya smirked and started looking around the village. ‘We should bring attention to where I helped her escape, the animal pen. Make them think it’s a weakness.’ 

 ‘While you’re doing that, I’ll be setting up other events.’ L walked away from Hoya, listening to the faint scraping sound of his older brothers feet against the ground. His feet led him to the backyard of the Nahm’s house. His eyes swept over the garden that contained most of the herbs and food of the village. Kneeling, he brushed his fingers over the tips of some of the plants. His nose picked up the subtle variation of scents from all of the different things growing around him. 

 ‘With the end of a season, change comes,’ he spoke softly in Nymphean. ‘Prosperity may fall prey to the creatures that hunt within nature, and weather may seek to destroy what was growing. In return for their actions, may their crops fail and their land weaken.’ 

 ‘Myungsoo! What were you doing?’ L stiffened and looked behind him, wide eyed at Buyoung, Hyunsu’s mother. ‘Were you looking at the plants? I’m sure they’re fine.’ She laughed awkwardly before she smiled at him. ‘You’re helping look for Hyunsu, aren’t you? I’m sure she wouldn’t be around here.’ The woman’s eyebrows scrunched together as her eyes darkened. ‘I can’t believe she ran away. Disgraceful.’ She whispered quietly enough that if L were not a Fae, he would not have heard her. 

 ‘I was just talking with Hyoheon.’ His voice came out rough, Buyoung looked taken back before she nodded. L couldn’t believe the woman in front of him. She had helped create the repulsive mimicry of a wedding and was calling Hyunsu disgraceful for leaving. ‘We split up to look for her, I was just talking to Ho-Howon.’ He caught himself before he said Hoya. 

 ‘I see.’ Buyoung sighed and knelt down to look at the plants. She frowned and ran her finger through the dirt, scowling when a small bug scuttered away. ‘I’ll have to talk to my husband, beetles have found their way into the garden. I thought I had put down enough oil.’ She trailed off before shaking her head. ‘We’ll need to get this fixed.’ 

 ‘I’ll leave you to figure it out.’ L shot her a smile. Buyoung felt a strange chill from the look he was giving her, shaking off her reaction, she smiled back before looking around the garden more to check for more bugs. He watched her a growing look of amusement before he turned around and walked away.

The Fae never tried to attack the village before they only hurt those that left at night or were in their forest. But that had all changed and that was because of the humans. If they had been wise enough to not start a fight, they wouldn’t come to experience the true power of the Fae. L wasn’t sure they would even have time to regret their actions before they were finished. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Hyunsu pressed her palms against the stone wall behind her as she stared at the forest. Her eyes went up the wall, Hoya was already gone. She was alone. Gulping she let her head fall back and thump lightly against the cool boundary of the village. She had made her choice, she couldn't regret it. Clenching her jaw she pushed herself off of the wall then clutched the thick cloth of her dress. She needed to go  before they knew she was missing. It would be better, after all, if her family didn't see her running. It would be better if they didn't knew she chose to abandon them, that she had chosen the Fae. Hyunsu scowled as she started running across the long expanse of tall grass. No, she was wrong. She wasn't their family, they had told her that themselves. Zuko had denounced her as his sister, and Buyoung, the woman she viewed as her mother, did the same. Her flimsy shoes scratched against her feet, agitating them as she bounded through the field, jumping over noticeable holes, and stumbling past the ones she missed. She ignored the throbbing of her leg where she had the wound that still had not healed.

 

Refusing to indulge herself, Hyunsu kept her eyes ahead of her, she refused to look back at the village. From that simple choice, the strangest feeling encompassed her.  Freedom . With each pained step she took she felt as if a weight was being removed from her chest. It felt easier to breathe, suddenly she could smell the sweet scent released from the grass she was tearing apart in her rush. She could smell the sharp earthy scent of the forest head of her, growing stronger with each second. Her steps didn't falter as she crossed the line between the field and the forest. Instead, she ran faster. It was easier for her to dodge the bushes and push herself off of the random outcrops of roots from the trees around her than the field that was left behind her. Was that so wrong?

 

Instead of going further into her thoughts she slowed and stopped to catch her breath as she found familiar landmarks. She turned around as a faint sound caught her attention. Hyunsu barely had a moment to react before the figure lunged at her and hugged her tightly.

 

'You're back!' Sungyeol's voice was high pitched as he squeezed her. 'We didn't know- nobody could decide-' instead of finishing a coherent sentence, he continued saying multiple half ones. Despite feeling constricted, and jolts of pain, Hyunsu relaxed in his grip. He had the familiar sweet scent of flowers that he always had as well as the heavy wood scent that they all carried on them. Finally letting go of her, Sungyeol stared at her with a wide smile and obnoxiously bright eyes. 'I said you would come back. I knew you would.' Laughing he hugged her again. Hyunsu couldn't help the smile that broke out on her own face. It was impossible to remember the disappointment of the moments that lead up to where she was, all she could think about was right then. 'Come on, you need to see Sungjong.' Hyunsu didn't miss the way his smile faltered when he said his younger brothers name.

 

'Sungyeol.' Hyunsu wordlessly clutched the heavy cloth of her dress and raised an eyebrow sheepishly. There was no way she was climbing her way up the tree. Sungyeol mimicked her expression, feeling embarrassed that he hadn't noticed the heavy gown either. He opened his mouth to say something, before looking down and frowning. 'What?'

 

'Hyunsu.' She winced involuntarily, at his tone (though her mind hassled her, questioning if it was his tone or the name he used). Sungyeol stepped closer to her before kneeling and lifting the skirt of her dress. Instead of screaming and batting him away like she would anyone else, she allowed him to do it. She knew what he was looking at, and that was enough to make her guiltily look away. He stepped away moments later with her blood on his fingers. 'You're still hurt.' His voice was quiet as he looked at his fingers then her leg that was hidden by the dress. His eyebrows scrunched together before he stared at her accusingly. 'That should have been the first thing you said.' His nose scrunched up as he wiped the blood off onto his shirt. 'I'll get you up, just, don't get angry, alright?' Hyunsu instantly stared at him warily as a smile curled at his lips.

 

'Fine,' she said as she stared at him suspiciously. Grinning Sungyeol threw her over his shoulder. Instantly she sucked in a deep breath, trying to resist yelling at him.

'You know,' he said as he started climbing the tree pretending that he didn't know she was furious. 'This is the way we carried you in the first time. Sunggyu threw you over his shoulder because he couldn't think of how to carry you.' Sungyeol started laughing as Hyunsu pressed her elbows into his back so that she could try and look at his face. Hyunsu yelped as she almost hit her head on a branch that was above her. 'Be careful.' Sungyeol scolded, his voice held no conviction so instead of sounding serious, he sounded amused.

'Who else is out there?' Hyunsu questioned as she looked out towards the forest. She couldn't hear much, but she could faint rustling around them. Someone was agitating the leaves around them, she could tell that much.

 

'There are always a few of us scouting the area.' Sungyeol said with a proud smile on his face. Even if Hyunsu couldn't see it, that didn't meant that she couldn't feel his pride. He was pleased that she could tell there were Fae around them, before she had left she wouldn't have noticed. But not only had she chosen to come on her own, but she noticed more than when she left.

 

'That's how you got to me so fast.' Hyunsu mused. She felt affection towards her taller friend as she realised that upon hearing she was coming, he must have rushed to where she was so that he would be the first to greet her.

 

'Of course!' He chirped as he pulled himself onto the wooden bridge that signaled the first layer of the Fae village. In a swift motion, Hyunsu went from hanging on his shoulder, to being carried in his arms. She felt herself flushing in embarrassment as he started carrying her down the bridge. She didn't miss the small laugh he released when he noticed her expression or the faint look of anger that sparked in his eyes as he undoubtedly thought of the wound the humans had caused.

 

'I'm fine, I can walk.' Hyunsu tried to urge him to put her down. 'I even climbed up a tree the day after it was wrapped and I was fine.' Sungyeol remained silent but his lips twisted as he tried to keep a smile off of his face. Throughout the silence, she looked around the area and noted that she couldn't see any other Fae wandering around. It was much like it had been the first couple of days she had been in the village. Aside from faint rustling or movement in the corner of her eyes, there was no signs of other life.

 

'That wasn't very smart.' He finally said as he walked into one of the trees that Hyunsu had not been in before. The area had multiple raised beds lining the circular room. Each one had a table filled with different instruments and objects beside it. Without pausing he laid her down on the bed before poking her dress. 'Do you mind if this gets torn?'

 

'Not at all.' She reassured him as she looked at the dress she was wearing. Where it had once been completely clean and an off-white shade, now it had dusty marks on it from when she had leaned against, and descended the wall of the village. There were light green stains spotting the dress where some of the juice from the grass she had broken had seeped into the cloth and there were brown dirt stains coating the very bottom from when she had run through the forest. The dress was completely ruined.

 

'Good.' With a smile on his face, he nodded to her then walked out of the room. Moments later a Nymph walked into the room. She looked familiar, and Hyunsu knew she had talked to her, but she hadn't spent time with every single Fae in the area.

 

'Yeonjung,' the Nymph said with a welcoming smile. 'Welcome back, sister.' She kissed Hyunsu's forehead then pulled a knife from her belt and started cutting the dress away. 'You must have heard her calling if you came back so quickly.' As the Nymph spoke, Hyunsu focused on her looks, trying to remember her name. The short boyishly cut black hair looked familiar to her, as did the lazily slanted green eyes that were focused on the dirty dress. Within moments the dress had been mostly cut away, and discarded into a small bin that was at the side of the bed, and the Nymph had started unwrapping the blood stained cloth as Hyunsu put on a loose fitting brown shirt that the Nymph gave her. With the removal of the cloth, she was handed a pair of short pants that when she put them on, they ended just above mid-thigh which was barely above her wound.

 

'Pardon?' Hyunsu's voice shook with uncertainty as the Nymph washed the trail of blood that had run down Hyunsu's leg, as well as the wound itself.

 

'The All-Mother sang every night you were gone.' The Nymph said as she spread a strange smelling paste that Hyunsu had never seen before onto her wound. 'You must have heard her calls, everything we do is always strengthened by the land around us. And the forest lent her it's support, it felt your disappearance as well.' She lowered her voice, whispering as if she was saying something that was intimate. Hyunsu stared at the Nymph in disbelief, suddenly remembering her name as the Nymph started laughing cheerily. The laugh was memorable and could belong to no Fae but Areum. She hadn't heard anyone else that laughed so fully that the room seemed to grow brighter in lighting. 'Just because you do not believe me, does not mean that it is not true.'

 

'I didn't hear anyone singing.' Hyunsu pressed again, insisting that she didn't hear it.

 

'That doesn't mean that you didn't feel it.' Areum patted down the paste before washing her hands in a basin that was situated near the bed. 'Despite what anyone may say to you, you should not get off of the bed until the paste has dried. Only once it starts to crumble away can you get up, is that clear?'

 

'Yes, thank you, Areum.' Hyunsu bit her lip hoping that she got the name right.

 

'You're welcome, Yeonjung.' Areum smiled softly before laughing again. 'Don't let them get you up, okay?' She lightly brushed her fingers over Hyunsu's hair, barely ruffling it, before she walked out. Hyunsu shuffled awkwardly on the bed before relaxing into the soft pillow and mattress. Letting out a deep breath, she felt her eyes grow weary as suddenly the events of the day made her tired. Within moments she fell asleep, not hearing anything that was going on around her.

  
  
 

 

Sungyeol was grinning larger than he had before as he knocked on Sungjong's door. His smile didn't falter when there a lack of response. Not waiting any longer than he had to, he barged into the room. Instantly he could smell the berries that Sungjong no doubt had hidden throughout the room for late-night snacking. The room was dark, the light that came through the windows were obscured by the leaves outside, and the room was filled with different animal dolls that were homemade gifts from friends. The only sign that Sungjong was in the room was the large lump underneath a blanket that was beside his large tan bear doll. 'Sungjong, I think you'll want to get up,' Sungyeol said.

 

'Go away.' Sungjong sat up as he pulled the blanket off of him. His black hair was messy and scattered, poking in all directions. His skin was pale, making his eyes look darker than usual.

 

'No.' Without a pause Sungyeol marched forwards and grabbed his brother's arm, tugging him off of his bed. Sungjong's light purple shirt was wrinkled and stiff from him spending all of his time in the room. His pants were cut off at the knee and looked just as wrinkled as his short. His belt was nowhere to be seen, and Sungyeol could see his younger brother's mask underneath a pile of dolls in the corner of the room.

 

'Yes, believe me, you'll regret not coming.' Sungyeol watched with a grin as his brother's large eyes narrowed suspiciously. Sungjong's square chin jolted to the side as he glared at his older brother.

 

'I'm not going.' Sungjong crossed his arms with a scowl before turning around to climb back into his bed. Without warning, Sungyeol grabbed his brother by his shoulders and pushed him out of the room before he could fight him.

 

'Yes, you are.' Instead of continuing the argument with his brother, Sungyeol forced Sungjong along the bridge towards where Yeonjung was being held.

 

'Fine.' Sungjong pouted as he let his brother continue to drag him along. He didn't have the energy to fight, not with everything that was going on. There were still two more days until his brothers came back, and that didn't even mean that Hyunsu would be coming back with them. Grumbling about the injustice of having older brothers, Sungjong vaguely registered that they were heading to the healing tree but he didn't think much of it. At least one of them went to the tree every single week. As they walked towards the entrance, he could hear Sunggyu, Woohyun, and Dongwoo inside talking to each other.  'Who got hurt?' He questioned with a huff as he walked into the tree.

 

'The larva.' Dongwoo crossed his arms staring at the wall. He was slumped in a chair near the middle of the room, facing the opposite way Sunggyu and Woohyun were.

 

Larva?' Sungjong repeated. He slowly looked at the only occupied bed that none of his brother were on. Sunggyu was seated beside the bed, and Woohyun had sat himself on top of the bedside table after putting everything on top onto the bed beside it. He stared in disbelief at the sleeping body on the bed. 'She's back?' His shoulders slumped in relief as he walked towards the bed. Yeonjung was still fast asleep despite all of the noise.

 

'We don't know why Hoya and L aren't back yet.' Woohyun leaned against the wall before looking at Yeonjung. 'She hasn't woken up yet to say anything.'

 

'They are travelling with the caravan.' Sunggyu said before he smiled at Sungjong and got up from his sleep. 'It is good to see you again, brother.' He kissed Sungjong's forehead then started adjusting his younger brothers clothes, ignoring the annoyed look he was getting. 'If they left early then the humans might realise that they were not human. It's dangerous.' He continued talking after greeting his brother.

 

'They're  humans ,' Dongwoo growled out. His meaning was clear, he didn't think that the humans were smart enough to figure it out.

 

'Humans, brother, not dokkaebi. They can figure it out.' Sunggyu sighed and sat back down in his seat as Sungyeol sat himself down on the edge of Yeonjung's bed.

 

'It's still two days until they head back, right?' Sungjong said, hesitating before he sat down on the bed beside Yeonjung's.

 

'Yes.' Sunggyu nodded and rubbed his eyes ignoring Sungyeol when he started shaking Yeonjung's leg to wake her up.

 

'Let her sleep.' Woohyun's eyebrows raised as he looked at his brother.

 

'Let's just ask her.' Sungyeol justified himself, smiling as Yeonjung blinked her eyes open. 'Did you have a nice sleep?' He questioned. In an instant her face flushed and she started scrambling on the bed. Without pause (because he was expecting it to happen) Woohyun threw the blanket on her legs that he had folded on his lap. Shooting him a grateful smile she splayed the blanket on her legs. As she opened her mouth, he continued talking, not waiting for her to answer. 'Why did you come back so early?'

 

'Circumstances,' she said with an unconvincing smile. 'Hoya said they would stay in the village longer, he said it would be better that way.'

 

'Like you said.' Dongwoo looked at Sunggyu, sighing after he spoke.

 

'What  were the circumstances?' Sunggyu asked.

 

'There was stuff going on.' Yeonjung bit her lip trying to keep herself from frowning so deeply.

 

'We don't need to know.' Dongwoo said, looking at her approvingly. He didn't want to hear what she wanted to say and he was pleased that she had refrained from evaluating on the subject. His jaw flexed as he looked at her leg, the spread was almost dry, he hoped that the blanket didn't wipe off any ahead of time. Following that train of thought, he shot Woohyun a small glare. He shouldn't be indulging the girl when it could harm the healing process.

 

'Fine.' Sunggyu shot a glance over at Dongwoo before releasing a sigh. With a fluid swipe of his arm, he pulled a small bag towards himself before pulling out some food. 'I'm sure you're hungry.' With a small smile he handed her a bowl of berries and shelled nuts. 'Your favourite, right?'

 

'Yeah,' Yeonjung said with a smile as she took the bowl from him. She sat up and leaned her back against the wall before picking up some berries and chewing on them. The instant the sour tang filled her mouth she relaxed. The familiar taste soothed her taste buds more than the food she had with her famil- a scowl flashed across her face as she stopped her thoughts. No, they weren't her family. They were, her lips pressed together as she tried to think of a word she could use instead. Shaking her head, she dropped the issue. She was thankful that although they all noticed her reactions, none of them questioned her. 'It tastes delicious,' she said after she ate one of the acorns. The familiar nutty taste had a sweet tang that was balanced off by a strong spicy flavour.

 

'I boiled the nuts in water that had berries and other plants in it.' Woohyun beamed, pleased that she liked it. 'It's a special dish we make for traditional events.' Yeonjung hadn't been to a traditional event yet, even though there had been a few throughout the six months she was with them. Dongwoo, Hoya, and L always managed to find a way to make sure she had no idea it was happening. 'The spice is coming from the leaves you don't like. When they are boiled, they don't taste bitter anymore.'

 

‘We should leave her alone for the next while.’ Dongwoo stood up, not looking at her. ‘Her leg still needs to heal.’

 

‘It does,’ Sunggyu said in agreement. His lips curled into a small smirk, as if he were hiding a secret from everyone else. ‘We should let her relax.’ He looked at Yeonjung with a smile. ‘Welcome back, Yeonjung.’ As he walked out of the room, the others got up and followed him out, Woohyun smiled at her as he left, Sungyeol said goodbye, and Dongwoo scowled as he left, not sparing a glance at her.

 

‘Thank you.’ She whispered, clutching the wooden bowl in her hands. Unlike the others, Sungjong got up then sat down beside her.

 

‘You look tired.’ His voice was low, and sounded awkward to the two of them.

 

‘So do you.’ Yeonjung’s lips quirked lopsidedly, not sure how to react to the nervous air they had. She nibbled on her lip as she played with the food left in the bowl.

 

‘I’m sorry.’ Sungjong’s nose scrunched up as he looked at his hands. ‘I shouldn’t have made you go down to the forest floor.’ He played with his fingers, looking like he was ready to bolt out of the room. ‘I got in a lot of trouble.’ Yeonjung was used to people saying that as a way of saying that they had paid their penance, that because they got in trouble they should be forgiving instantly. But the way Sungjong said it, it seemed more like he felt even worse. That he felt the consequences weren’t enough for what he had done, that he didn’t think he should be forgiven yet. He still sounded guilty.

 

‘It’s okay.’ Yeonjung lightly squashed a berry in between her fingers. ‘It’s a good thing it happened.’ She ignored his confused look. ‘Going back reminded me of everything that I had left.’ Sungjong’s face fell and seemed to darken with regret. It was obvious that he was worried that he had caused her to long for the human world, that she would leave them now, and completely sever herself from the world of the Fae.

 

‘We’re better than them.’ Sungjong crossed his arms. ‘They’re evil, and not good at all. They’re dangerous and are destroying the world around them.’ He was acting childish, he knew. It was simple jealousy that made him want to insult the humans. Because maybe she would see it, maybe she would agree with him, and maybe, she would stay. 

 

‘They say the same thing about you.’ Yeonjung felt a small smile pull at her lips as an offended look flashed across his face.

 

‘It’s not the same,’ he said dejectedly. Sungjong had already resigned himself to his own truth, that Yeonjung was leaving again.

 

‘It’s not.’ She agreed. She shuffled awkwardly on the bed, avoiding looking at him. What could she say to him? Yeonjung didn’t even really know what she felt. Grimacing, she ate another acorn, preferring the loud crunching noises to the silence that was filling the room.

 

‘Do you like us?’ Sungjong’s voice cracked, showing his discomfort with the situation. Not that either of them needed any more evidence.

 

 'Of course I do!' Yeonjung scowled and collapsed against the wall. She couldn't believe that she was acting in such a way that he doubted that. There was no possible way that she would dislike Sungjong. Which she just couldn't understand. How could she feel amiable with him when she was so fed-up with her had-been family that she was okay with running away from that like she had. Sighing heavily, Yeonjung played with her fingers. She focused on the faint juice stains that were on her fingers from the berries she ate earlier. 

 ‘What’s wrong.’ Sungjong frowned, looking at her with concern. 

 ‘I’m just conflicted. But don’t worry about it. I’ll have it figured out soon.’ Yeonjung shot him a hesitant smile before nibbling on her lips. Sungjong scratched his cheek slowly, watching as far too many emotions flashed through her face. He could guess what she was struggling with, but it wasn’t something he knew how to solve. The two fell into silence. Neither had the things they wanted answered, but neither tried to delve deeper either. Instead they remained in each other's presence for support. 

 

* * *

 

 

'No!' Sunggyu's shout got Yeonjung's attention as she wandered the long bridges that connected the village. 'He's not supposed to come here. You know who he is and what he does.' She cautiously looked around the tree that was before the bend and watched as Sunggyu scowled at one of the Nixes.

 

 'Sir, he doesn't work with them anymore.' The Nix sighed and ran his hand through his peculiarly white and pink hair. 'He's more of a wanderer now, you know that.'

 

 'That means nothing, you know that.’ Sunggyu added the last part, mimicking what the Nix had said previously. His narrowed eyes conveyed the depth of his message.  ‘If anything, send him towards the village with some nuts and berries. But we can't let him know where our home is.' Sunggyu sighed, sounding weary. 'I'm sorry for snapping, brother. It was inappropriate of me.'

 

 'No harm done, brother.' The Nix smiled at him warmly before resting his hand upon Sunggyu's shoulder. 'I'll go get the supplies then send him away.'

 

 'Maybe, someday, we'll let him up,' said Sunggyu with a speculative tone. It was clear that he didn't imagine that this mystery man would ever come up, but he in some way felt as though he were obligated to host the man. 'Hyunsu? You can come over, we're not talking about anything serious.'

 

 Yeonjung struggled to hide the strange frustration that bubbled up in her. She didn't know what she was struggling with, but suddenly she felt irritated, pushing the feeling away she resolved that it was because he knew where she was. That had to be it. Walking around the corner she smiled at the unfamiliar Nix. 'Hello.'

 

 'Hi, I'm Namjoon.' He flashed her a smile and lightly touched her cheeks with his cool fingers in greeting. 

 

 'I'm Yeonjung.' Her eyes could barely move from the strange pink highlights of his hair as she stared at him. 

 

 'One of my friends decided to try getting some berry juice in my hair.' After Sunggyu raised an eyebrow Namjoon raised his hands and said, 'it'll wash out when I get some water on it.'

 

 'Good, we wear the masks for a reason. Something like-' He looked at Namjoon's hair with a mixed expression. 'Pink hair is recognizable.' Clearing his throat, Sunggyu nodded at Namjoon. 'Namjoon is from one of the oceanic tribes, he was with the caravan. We rescued him before they got him to their destination.'

 

 'You're the Nymph that got kidnapped by the humans, right? Everyone was worried about you.' Namjoon raised his hand to his head and lightly scratched at his hair. 'I'm glad you're okay.'

 

 'Thank you.' Yeonjung smiled at him, before looking at his hair curiously. 'Why is your hair so,  white .'

 

 'Uh-' He looked slightly thrown off before he smirked. 'Lots of us have white hair in the oceanic tribes. It's part of how our bodies react with our surroundings. In fact, I'm surprised more of you don't have green hair.' Namjoon looked over at Sunggyu who laughed and shook his head.

 

 'You know just as well as I do, that those in the forest tend to have darker hair. The more, colourful, hair types are in the open areas.' Yeonjung watched with interest as the two interacted smoothly, as if they had known each other for years as opposed to days. Her body seemed to warm with pleasure as she recognized that he reacted so familiarly simply because that was how the Fae were, when they weren't talking to humans. 'You should head out before the fox gets tired.'

 

 'Of course, sir!' Namjoon saluted him with a grin before he smiled at Yeonjung and running the other way, towards where the man was.

 

 'Who are you talking about?' Yeonjung asked as she walked up beside Sunggyu.

 

 'He's a fox, a gumiho.' Instantly, Yeonjung shuddered. All the stories she had heard about gumihos was that they were nine-tailed foxes that devoured the livers of humans. Sunggyu felt the sudden increase of nervousness from Yeonjung and he tried to hide a smile from her. 'Gumiho are not.....They are not as violent as you think. But they are tricksters. They don't have the same morals as we do, they have no problem hurting friends, but at the same time they are fiercely protective. They don't make much sense. But they are better than the kitsune, the other faction of nine-tailed foxes.' Instead of saying why, Sunggyu rested his hand on Yeonjung's shoulder as an effort to comfort her. 'You introduced yourself as Yeonjung.'

 

 'I did.' She nodded and relaxed, her worries about gumihos fading as she felt a sense of pride. It was nice, relaxing in some way, to introduce herself as Yeonjung. 'Why does Sungjong think that I don't like you guys.' She looked down at her fingers and started fiddling with them.

 

 'You know why. Before you were taken, most of you was gone, even when you enjoyed your time here you longed for the humans. We could all tell how you felt.' Sunggyu looked into the forest, taking in the beautiful vision of green leaves and little animals. A part of him felt a sense of triumph because he had not felt that sense of longing once since she came back.

 

 'I care about you guys.' Yeonjung focused on her fingers, feeling embarrassed about what she was saying.

 

 'We care about you as well.' Sunggyu smirked as he looped his fingers through the empty loops on his belt. 'Come on, there is someone you have to talk to.' He took her hand without a second thought then started pulling her along the path. Their footsteps hit the wooden planks with soft thumps as they continued on. Neither spoke, the only noise came from the rustling of leaves, and the soft chirping of birds in the background.

 

 He lead her towards a small open area where several herbs were hanging from branches and there was a wooden pot that Dongwoo was pounding a thick wooden shaft into. Yeonjung instantly started slowing down, feeling uncomfortable. 'Why did you bring her here?' Dongwoo stopped pounding the shaft in and turned, crossing his arms. Unlike when she last saw him, he was wearing a black shirt that had no sleeves so when he crossed his arms, Yeonjung could see his muscles flexing. His dark hair fell into his eyes and his thick lips were pulled into the usual annoyed scowl.

 

 'Dongwoo.' Sunggyu walked towards him, leaving Yeonjung behind him. 'You're showing the wrong side to her. She is one of us yet you're still treating her as if she is a human. Please, spend time with her and try to be yourself.' He leaned towards Dongwoo and whispered something to him before he turned and smiled at Yeonjung.

 

 'I'll leave you two for now.' Without waiting for another response he walked off, leaving Yeonjung alone with the one Nix that she wanted to avoid.

 

 'You may as well help me.' Dongwoo ran a hand through his hair, not looking at her. 'Come here.' He turned to look back at the big wooden bowl.

 

 'What is this for?' Yeonjung walked up to the bowl, watching as he picked up the large shaft.

 

 'I don't trust the humans. I'm making this up in case something happens.' He handed her the shaft and clutched the sides of the bowl. When she looked down into the bowl she could see a mix of different herbs, roots, and what even looked like berries. She opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head. 'Now is not the time to talk. Pound the shaft into the mixture steadily, okay?'

 

 Nodding, Yeonjung started pounding it into the bowl. The scents that filled the air reminded her of the different plants L had shown her. But something about it was soothing and instead sparked up her memories. It reminded her of the nights she spent writing in her stomach as she struggled to remember everything she could about her human life and trying to learn a new language.

 

 'Stop!' Dongwoo exclaimed, making her freeze. Sighing he shook his head. 'We cannot do this if you are thinking negatively. What's-' He looked as if he were struggling to speak. 'What's  bothering  you?' His voice dropped as he asked the question, looking physically uncomfortable.

 

 Yeonjung froze and looked just as uncomfortable as him. That was, after all, the very first time that he had ever asked a question like that. In the past if she were in the same state he would either ignore her, or send her away. 'My brother said that I'm not a human. I'm not his sister.'

 

 ‘They've been-' Dongwoo stopped and sighed. 'You're a latestarter, a Nymph that has grown up with humans. When that happens, your essence tries to make you as much like them as possible. That's why you are like this.'

 

 'I never believed that I was a latestarter.' Yeonjung gulped, trying to stifle to growing awkwardness. This whole situation seemed unnatural and like it shouldn't ever happen. 'I never had any reason to, I had grown up with my parents. My mum was never a Nymph, and my father was never a Nix.'

 

 'Then you're not their child.' Dongwoo said simply. His eyes seemed to be weighted with his annoyance towards her. His usual irritation for the Nymph was quickly coming back. 

 

 'But that's not possible! If I were truly not their child then I would know. Someone in the village would have remarked on it by now. Everyone knows each other, they would know if a family adopted a child.' Yeonjung shook her head as her eyebrows furrowed. She couldn't imagine whose child she could be if she wasn't a Nahm.

 

 'Does it really matter? You aren't in the village anymore. You chose to come here, you willingly left that world behind you. Nobody here cares where you came from, only that you stay.' As he spoke, Yeonjung suddenly felt foreign emotions. It was as though someone else's emotions were around her, trying to call attention to themselves. 'I think it would be best if you tried to leave that world behind you.' She could feel the hesitation and interest building around her as he spoke. The emotions that weren't hers were starting to overwhelm her. Yeonjung couldn't understand what was happening, was she going crazy?

 

 'Hey!' Dongwoo snapped his fingers in front of her face causing her to jump in surprise, suddenly the sensation disappeared and she could only feel her own confusion. 'Are you zoning out on me?' His eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. 'I'm actually saying important stuff here.' He trailed off and looked like he was starting to pout. Yeonjung felt her lips twitch as she tried to keep in a laugh. She had only ever seen negative expressions on his face, or to see such a childish look on his face...

 

 'I heard you,' she said after she managed to calm herself. 'Thank you.'

 

 Instantly he straightened up and she realised how close his face had been to hers. 'Good,' Dongwoo said with a satisfied look. 'Now, start mixing again.' He motioned to the waiting shaft before crossing his arms and staring at her sternly. Suddenly, the look that had seemed so natural on him before, looked wrong. Yeonjung didn't understand where the feeling was coming from, so instead of focusing on it, she picked up the wooden shaft and started steadily pounding the mixture like he told her.

 

 She could hear his quiet whispers as he held onto the bowl. She couldn't make out a single word, but his tone was evident enough that she could feel his determination and longing. As Yeonjung pounded the mixture, the strange feelings started coming to her again. She could feel the intense distrust weighing down on her, but hope and faith seemed to mix into the distrust, giving her such a complex understanding. She had no idea what was happening, or what was becoming clear to her, but she felt safe because of it. Safer than she had ever felt.

 

 

 

 

 

 He felt annoyance flash through him again as he watched the Nymph in front of him. He had taken her to the room they ate in because they had missed lunch with the others, but it was only making him feel more agitated. 'Yeonjung.' Dongwoo sighed heavily as she picked at the berries.

 

 'What?' Yeonjung looked up at him. She shifted on the cushion she was sitting on before eating another berry.

 

 'You can't just eat berries.' He picked up the bowl that held a pile of greens that placed it down in front of her. 'You need to eat something else as well. You won't get all of your nutrients from just those.' Her nose wrinkled as she hesitantly picked up one of the leaves, then chewed on it. It was still as overwhelmingly bitter as it had been every other time she ate it.

 

 'Will our relationship always be weird?' she asked as she picked up another one of the leaves, this time wrapping some berries into it.

 

 Dongwoo sighed, understanding what she was asking. From the start their relationship had been bad because he had hated her. He still didn't like her, but he respected her. He couldn't not respect her, especially when she had willingly left the place she was raised to come back where she belonged. 'I don't know,' he finally said. He watched as she ate her leaf and berry wrap before an approving look flashed across her face. 'How did you get by living here for six months without trying to mix the leaf with other things.' He muttered, not understanding why she had not tried to experiment when she clearly didn't like the food.

 

 'L told me not to change it. He said most things he was going to show me were bitter, so I should get used to the taste.' She made another wrap, except she put some roasted nuts in as well.

 

 Dongwoo made a sound of acknowledgement before eating more of the food in front of them. He couldn't argue with his younger brothers logic. The girl needed to get used to it somehow, and considering the body was the last to change, she needed to learn on her own.

 

 'Look at you two getting along!' Sungyeol dropped down beside Dongwoo with a large smile. Yeonjung smiled back, but stopped as soon as she noticed the irritated look that flashed across the Dongwoo's face. She had thought they were getting along but, she was watching him walk away and leave her and Sungyeol alone. 'Well-' He said after his brother left the room. 'You're growing on him.'

 

 'Yeah,' she muttered as she started playing with the food in front of her instead of talking.

 

 'Hyunsu, you shouldn't play with your food.' Her fingers wavered over the bowl as she heard Sungyeol talk to her. The irritation was back again. 'Are you alright?' Sungyeol asked with a concerned look.

 

 'Of course! It's just, I wish we would get along better.' Yeonjung said quietly.

 

 'It'll come eventually.' Sungyeol shrugged then picked up one of her berries. ‘I can’t tell you how glad I am that the fox is gone now.’ 

 

 ‘Fox?’ 

 

 ‘A Gumiho came around here earlier.’ Sungyeol sighed then cracked his knuckles absentmindedly. ‘He is on his way to the human village. Or he is going past it. It’s not easy to tell what a Gumiho might do.’

 ‘Sunggyu mentioned him.’ Yeonjung leaned back and picked at some berries she watched as an uncomfortable look flashed across his face.  

 ‘Sunggyu doesn’t like him, at all.’ Sungyeol sighed and shook his head. ‘We’ve almost all met the gumiho, he’s not a bad guy. The problem is his job, and he refuses to leave it behind. Anyways, that’s not the point. I have something to show you.’ Sungyeol’s face lit up, his eyes filling with vivid excitement. He stood up, his whole body shook with anticipation as his lips curled into a wide grin. 

 ‘What do you want to show me?’ Yeonjung stood up and barely had enough time to blink before Sungyeol was pulling her out of the room. 

 ‘There’s a lot we didn’t show you. Anyways, your legs okay, right?’ Instantly Yeonjung froze and looked down at her leg. She hadn’t even realised that it had stopped hurting. Her fingers reached down to the brown patch that was cracking off of her leg. 

 ‘I wasn’t supposed to move!’ She flushed as panic flooded through her body, chilling and heating her body simultaneously. In her village people died from infections rather than the wounds themselves. They could only sanitize so much with their limited selection of herbs. The tips of her fingers glazed over the dried poultice. She winced as she watched the top of it flake off. She couldn’t feel anything, was she supposed to not feel anything? 

 ‘Hey, hey, what’s wrong?’ Sungyeol frowned and stared at her with concern. 

 ‘What’s wrong with the wound!’ Panicking, she scraped at the dried poultice. Sungyeol’s lips twitched as her face continued to pale as her fingernails scraped through the crumbling poultice. She stared at the newly revealed skin blankly, staring without comprehension. 

 ‘Something wrong?’ His voice was pitched higher than usual and it was clear that he was trying to hold in laughter. Instead of answering Yeonjung stared down at her unblemished skin. ‘I said I wanted to show you something, it wasn’t that, but that works too.’ He finally broke out into laughter as he continued tugging her along. 

 ‘Sungyeol!’ Yeonjung’s voice cracked, panicked, as he continued guiding her through the village. Her eyes flickered down to her leg that had not given her a single bit of agitation. 

 ‘Focus,’ he crooned. Yeonjung stared at him in disbelief as he dragged her to the central area of the level they were on. His footsteps lightly patted against the steps as he pulled her down to the centre area. ‘Remember this area? You haven’t come here much, have you?’ 

 She wordlessly shook her head as she remembered the ceremony she had endured to become apart of the Fae village.  Yeonjung had greeted every single Fae and each of them stared at her with warm gazes, welcoming and eager. Her body thrummed as the memories grew in tangibility, she almost felt as if she were there again, stuttering through the same phrases they spoke to her. 

 ‘We were happy to welcome you to our home. The late-starter that was rescued from the humans.’ Sungyeol’s eyes were fixed at the bottom of the area. Yeonjung stepped down the final, she stood beside him, in the centre of the large circular area. A small shiver ran through her spine as she heard leaves rustling outside of the circle, and shadows seemed to dance across the steps. ‘But that’s already happened.’ Laughing he shrugged then ran his gloved fingers through his brown hair. 

 ‘What did you want to show me?’ Yeonjung looked around them, not seeing anything of interest. It looked just as it did every other time she had been there. The area was empty, with small thin spirals that had the light up bugs inside. The branches hung over in the same manner it had previously, closing off the area making it it’s own place within the village. 

 Sungyeol took a deep breath. ‘First of all, don’t tell Sunggyu, okay?’ 

 Yeonjung’s eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the tall Fae beside her. Sungyeol’s normally bright eyes had an unfamiliar darkness to them. She sensed no distress or hostility from him, yet they just seemed more  dim than previously. She swallowed before nodding, unsure of how to react to the way he was acting. 

 His lips pulled into a small smile before he dropped straight down onto the wooden floor beneath them. Instantly, he patted the floor behind him and said, ‘sit down.’ 

 ‘Okay,’ Yeonjung said hesitantly, then she followed his instructions. Her eyes widened as she suddenly felt his back press against hers. Laughter erupted from behind her as she instantly stiffened.

 ‘Relax,’ he said with a teasing twang in his voice. ‘Now, close your eyes.’ Slowly, Yeonjung closed her eyes. Her fingers instantly found each other and she started toying with them, trying to calm her nerves. 

 ‘What are we doing?’ she asked weakly. 

 ‘I want to show you something,’ Sungyeol said with a tone defined with finality. ‘Keep your eyes closed and breathe deeply for awhile. Calm yourself.’ His voice softened as he spoke, making him sound absent. 

 ‘Is this meditation?’ Her question was met with a sharp laugh. Her eyebrows furrowed as she opened her eyes to look in front of her. Yeonjung had heard of meditation from the elders, they always said that it was a corrupted form of concentration that only survived because of the vile followers that spread it’s influence about the world. They never specified what the followers followed, or even what species they may have been, so she never paid much attention to it. But that didn’t mean that the elders had failed to inspire fear within her. 

 ‘No.’ After his response Yeonjung hesitantly closed her eyes and breathed deeply. With each strong breath she could feel her shoulders relax. Her back warmed as she grew more aware of his body against hers, and the feel of his shoulders resting against hers. She could feel the small twitching of his back as he adjusted his position. ‘What do you feel?’ 

 ‘You?’ she questioned, not sure what he was asking. 

 ‘Okay, what do you smell?’ Yeonjung nibbled on her bottom lip as she focused again, she could still feel his body against hers, but he had asked for smells, not feelings. She breathed deeply again, this time focusing on the scents around her. A small smile pulled at her lips as she recognised the spiced scent of the trees around her, coming to her by the wind that managed to break through the treetops. She breathed out softly as the soft perfume of flowers caught her attention, she knew there were none around them, but she could smell them as strongly as if they were in front of her. 

 

 ‘I smell the bark of the trees, and the scent of flowers.’ Her mind instantly filled in for her, that she must be smelling the trees because some Fae were cutting branches from somewhere near them. The scent of the wood was never that strong unless it had been cut into. But she couldn’t place where the scent of flowers was from. 

 ‘Good.’ She instantly felt a warmth encompass her, her mind provided her with the cause, pride. ‘Now, what do you hear?’ 

 Yeonjung forced herself to breathe quieter as she focused once again on her surroundings. As always, there was the soft swishing of leaves around her caused by the wind or small creatures scurrying around on the branches. ‘Leaves?’ She felt her lips dip into a pout as Sungyeol laughed. 

 ‘What else?’ Huffing, she focused again. Her eyebrows twitched as she tried to listen for anything else. ‘You’re trying too hard. Don’t force yourself, just, relax.’ 

 Relax, she mouthed to herself before sighing. Placing her palms down upon the wood beneath her, she forced her tensed shoulder to relax before she started breathing deeply again. ‘I can hear you breathing,’ Yeonjung said. She almost couldn’t hear anything with his breathing. It almost sounded like he was speaking to himself. 

 ‘Alright.’ She was surprised that he accepted her answer so quickly when leaves wasn’t enough. ‘Open your eyes.’ At his demand, she finally opened her eyes and looked around her. Everything looked the same as when she had first shut her eyes. 

 ‘What was that supposed to do?’ Yeonjung asked. She huffed at the lack of response. She shivered as the wind brushed against her back. She couldn’t feel Sungyeol against her anymore. Confused she turned her head only to stare at blank space. ‘Sungyeol?’ Cautiously, she stood up. ‘Sungyeol?’ She called out, louder. He was nowhere to be seen. Her heartbeat increased as she started bounding up the steps. 

 ‘Hey! Dongwoo!’ Yeonjung relaxed as she heard Hoya calling out as well. 

 ‘Hoya, you’re back.’ She walked up to the Fae who was walking towards her with a look she seemed to always see him with, frustration. ‘Are you okay? Where’s L?’

 Instead of answering he walked through her. 


	12. Chapter 12

 Hoya sighed, staring at the pigs pen with crossed arms. He couldn’t decide if he should leave and let others be the ones to “discover” the evidence left behind, or be that person. With his mind filled, he stared into the sky, a shudder worked down his spine as he felt the land around him shift. L was obviously doing his part, rotting their world from the roots. Making his choice, he walked away from the stall. In the end, it would be better if they didn’t attach him to the memory. The muscles in his forearm tensed as he imagined the future. A war was coming, and soon he would be destroying all the humans that dared to step onto their land. He wouldn’t regret a single instant.

 

 ‘Hoya.’ L stepped up beside Hoya as he walked out of the gardens of the village. ‘Are you done?’ 

 ‘Of course.’ Hoya shot his brother a smug look. ‘We need to prepare for leaving. The rest of the caravan cannot remember us.’ 

 ‘I know.’ L nodded then looked up at the sky. ‘I think we should risk it. Head home now. Forget about the rest. We don’t need to be as careful now.’ 

 ‘You want to start with the other preparations.’ Hoya observed, they would need to have as many details as possible to tell the Fae. ‘I finished the map.’ He could feel the parchment rubbing against his back underneath the loose clothes the humans wore. They were not lazy while they were in the village, they had been making as many notes as possible. ‘What else are we going to do?’ 

 ‘Would it be too much to create conflict?’ L questioned. He had absolute faith in the Fae, he knew that they could destroy all of the humans. 

 ‘It’s never too much.’ Hoya said with conviction. It was better to remove as much power on the enemies side as possible. It didn’t matter how pathetic their enemies would fail, they had to make sure they won. Hoya looked down the middle of the village, his eyes centered on the gate. If they truly wanted to, they could sabotage it, so that the villagers would be stuck once again. But, really, the Fae had the upper hand. They were going to win. There was no way they wouldn’t. It was that confidence that made him decide that they wouldn’t leave anymore nasty revelations for the humans. 

 ‘If we leave now, the humans will know who we are.’ L looked conflicted as he stared at their surroundings. ‘I don’t know if I want them to know that.’ 

 ‘What does it hurt if they know?’ Hoya questioned. His fingers rose to his ears where, like every other Nix, they were split from the bottom. ‘They only don’t know because they are not looking hard enough.’ 

 ‘We’re not supposed to reveal ourselves, ever. We’re supposed to be a silent opposer.’ L’s forehead creased as he thought of what they should do. Or rather, what would be the wisest course of action. 

 ‘The humans are ending that. This is all their fault. From now on, we can’t let them do as they please.’ Hoya said with conviction. ‘They need to take responsibility for their actions.’ 

 ‘They won’t.’ L retorted, he knew that was his brothers point. They needed to do this to the humans. They needed to make sure those beings understood exactly how much they did to the Nymphs. So far all they had felt was fear, anger, but not remorse. They didn’t understand the pain that accompanied the loss of family, the torturous empathy that wracked through the community as everyone suffered. As the connection with the lost ones was severed, torn apart by the selfish humans. His chest felt compressed as the weight of his emotions flooded through his body. Hoya placed his hand on L’s shoulder, giving him a steady presence. There was a time and a place to be emotional, and right now, they needed to focus. 

 ‘Let’s go and see Hwijae, we need to see what he thinks.’ Hoya spoke soothingly to L. 

 ‘Alright.’ L nodded and allowed Hoya to lend him emotional support. Giving Hoya that chance, lead to the emotions L was feeling leak away until he was left with peace. He knew what he had to do, and he would do it. 

 The duo walked towards the caravans, ignoring all possible conversations. Their bodies were close and angled towards each other making it clear they didn’t want to be interrupted, but they didn’t speak a word. They refused to relax until they were sitting in Hwijae’s personal caravan, holding cups of tea in their hands. 

 ‘So, what are you two going to do?’ Hwijae questioned in Nymphean as he held his steaming cup close to his face. ‘You are welcome to leave with my caravan once again, but that doesn’t appear to be that you wish.’ 

 ‘It may be wiser to leave as soon as we can.’ Hoya said as he placed his steaming mug on the floor of the caravan, then placed his hands upon his thighs. ‘We have lots of things to do to prepare. We would not leave quite yet though, we still have things to implement.’ 

 ‘I understand.’ Hwijae nodded then took a sip of his tea. ‘You know what I will say, tomorrow is the optimum day for travel.’ The trio sat up as the sound of footsteps came towards them. Hwijae expression looked heavy as he looked at Hoya and L. ‘I apologise, it seems we have a visitor.’ 

 ‘I can’t believe how hard it was to get here.’ The visitor exclaimed as he climbed into the caravan. ‘You won’t believe the-’ the man instantly smiled at Hoya and L as he sat himself down on a free cushion. ‘Well, look at the people we have, I never thought I would see any Fae here by choice.’ 

 ‘What are you doing here fox.’ Hoya demanded, scowling at the gumiho. 

 ‘I’m here to see my friends.’ Was his smooth reply. ‘What are you doing here?’ Neither Fae answered instead they glared the gumiho down. 

 ‘Ehhhh, how hostile.’ The gumiho cooed out, his smile made his high cheekbones stand out, making the fox in him stand out. ‘Hwijae, I came here for my gift.’ 

 ‘I know.’ Hwijae sighed and pulled out a box and handed it to the gumiho. Instantly he opened the box then pulled out an amulet. 

 ‘You’re giving that to him!’ Hoya stood up so abruptly he almost knocked over his cup of tea. L was levelling the gumiho with a glare, not looking any more pleased than his brothers with what was happening. It was wrong for that gumiho to be given a Nymphean amulet, it shouldn’t be happening, he had no  right . 

 ‘It’s not for me.’ The gumiho said as he dropped it back in the box, smirking at the outraged Fae. ‘It’s for a friend.’ Hwijae merely sighed, well aware that the necklace had been showed just to elicit that reaction. ‘I appreciate the gift, so will Dalsun.’ With a wink to the two Fae, he disappeared from the caravan before they could attack him. 

 ‘Hwijae! What are you doing? That filth shouldn’t be allowed near any of our stuff!’ Hoya’s fists clenched as he glared at the man he respected. 

 ‘If you knew the situation, you would understand.’ Hwijae’s gaze landed at L’s side where an amulet and letter were resting. ‘If the gumiho’s presence disturbs you so much, you should leave now. He will no doubt be looking for ways to create chaos.’ 

 ‘I have no doubt one way will be revealing our identity.’ L said as he took a sip of his tea. His eyes closed as the rich taste of herbs and berries filled his mouth. ‘These taste of the sea.’ His words came out softly as he let the taste overwhelm him. 

 ‘This tea is from a community of Nymphs on the borders.’ Hwijae said as he rested his hand in his lap. When Hwijae said they were on the borders, he meant bordering on becoming Fae, on becoming so frustrated, that it corrupted their innocence. ‘You can taste it, the growing fury.’ His dark eyes settled on the two Fae. ‘You know what I have to say about the coming fight, it would be better to leave the humans be. Go back to our roots. Make peace.’ 

 ‘After all they have done to us?’ Hoya questioned, scowling. ‘Never. They don’t deserve the torment they have delivered. In order for us to even consider it, that gumiho has to be out of business.’ 

 ‘He is surviving.’ Hwijae said calmly. 

 ‘He is lacking morals, he doesn’t even support his own.’ L shot back. ‘You can’t tell us that you support his actions.’ 

 ‘I don’t, but he made his choices.’ Hwijae was not pleased with the choices made, but there was nothing he could do. However, in some instances, such as with Dalsun, he was able to work with him. And that made the choice easier to handle. Because, at least they could assist in some way. 

 ‘It may be best that we leave then.’ Hoya said stiffly. ‘I don’t trust him.’ 

 ‘I’m not asking you too.’ Hwijae responded before waving towards their teas. ‘At least finish your drinks.’ Sighing, L listened to Hwijae, willing imbibing the drink. 

 ‘You didn’t poison them, did you?’ Hoya asked, suddenly not trusting the older Nix as much. 

 ‘Hoya.’ Hwijae looked at him directly in the eyes. ‘I don’t need poison to subdue you, drink only to relax. Do not worry about what I could do, because I won’t.’ Instead of drinking, Hoya pointedly ignored his drink, infuriated with how the day was turning out. 

 ‘I’m going to head out.’ Hoya muttered before he left the caravan, letting the cloth covering the opening fall abruptly over the gap as he left. 

 ‘What do you know?’ L asked as soon as Hoya left. 

 ‘About what?’ 

 ‘This.’ L lifted up the bulky letter and amulet in one hand. ‘I never.’ His voice caught then he sipped his tea, trying to calm down. ‘I’m glad she is out of the village. She should not be here.’ 

 ‘You truly believe that?’ Hwijae questioned as he poured fresh tea into L’s empty cup. ‘This situation does not happen often, it truly is a special occasion, and it does not often end the way you are proposing.’ 

 ‘We swore, we joined with her. To leave her behind would be to leave one of us behind.’ L said with conviction. ‘How much do you know?’ 

 ‘I know as much as I possibly could.’ Hwijae said as he took Hoya’s cup of tea. ‘What a waste of tea.’ He muttered to himself before placing it down by the door. ‘I have remained in contact with Sooki as much as I could for a traveller. She told me all she could. I was not surprised to arrive and see things unfolding the way they were. That girl has always been too much.’ He sighed then sat down with a small smile. ‘I remember once when I arrived and she was still quite young, she had a habit of climbing into the caravans to see everything she could. Whenever her family could not find her, she was pestering one of the travellers to tell her every story.’ 

 L looked at Hwijae confused, that did not sound too odd for him. The children in their home was the same. They were always looking for stories, eager to learn. It was part of being part of the Fae, they were born to be connected, it only made sense that they tested out every connection they could. 

 ‘I’m not saying this is not normal, but she was always a bit too excited with the supernatural. The elders had to teach her as many horror stories as they could about the other creatures in the world, they feared it would be the only way to keep her from exploring. She was much like her father that way.’ Hwijae shook his head. ‘My point is, L, that she had no chance of staying here. It is better for her to be gone. But doesn’t that give you hope? That there are people like her?’ 

 ‘You’re trying to ask if I’m as hostile as Hoya.’ L said, catching on to Hwijae’s point quickly. ‘I am, but as you said, she’s different. She was meant to be with us, from the beginning.’ His mind drifted back to the day she had tried to run away, how they had somehow understood each other, despite not what the other was saying. That connection, he believed it was there because she was meant to come to them, because she was meant to be a part of their community. 

 ‘Why would you ask me questions if you believe yourself more than anything?’ Hwijae asked, staring L down. He wasn’t saying that L was wrong, not at all, he was just questioning the boys receptiveness. 

 ‘I want to know if I’m right.’ L looked conflicted. He believed he was right, but that scared him. He didn’t know what it meant to be right, but it made him wonder if maybe, Dongwoo had known all along. 

 ‘I can’t tell you if you’re right unless you tell me exactly what you are asking.’  L opened his mouth to reply before pausing and looked down at the amulet beside him. His eyebrows furrowed as it seemed to pulse. He instantly looked up at Hwijae who sighed. 

 ‘What was that?’ 

 ‘What was what?’ Hwijae questioned, raising an eyebrow. ‘I will need a solid question,  Myungsoo .’ 

 ‘Nevermind.’ L shook his head and looked down at the amulet suspiciously. ‘I am going to go out and find Hoya. Be well, Hwijae.’ He finished his cup of tea and nodded in thanks before leaving the caravan. He walked through the village, clutching the letter and necklace given to him tightly. He needed to get them put away before anyone noticed, they were meant for Yeonjung. He closed his eyes, feeling his head start to throb. The events of the day were only serving to give him a headache. They needed to get it figured out as soon as possible.

  
  
 

 L was walking along the main path in the village, kicking up clouds of dirt as he went when the villagers first started getting rowdy. Minhyuk was yelling as he ran, no doubt looking for Hyoheon. ‘I know where she disappeared from! I know!’ He cried out as he pointed towards the wall. ‘They took her where the pig stall is!!’ His arm waved about in the air as he yelled, and his words served to make the humans panic and look at each other uncertainly. 

 ‘What’s going on.’ L raised his hand at the height of Minhyuks chest, stopping the scared bartender from running past him. 

 Panting, he said, ‘we found out where Hyunsu was taken. The Fae came back for her, she wasn’t hiding from the wedding!’ 

 ‘They came for her?’ L questioned, making his face twist in concern. ‘How did we not see them?’ 

 ‘I don’t know.’ Minhyuk’s nostrils flared as he spoke. ‘Those monsters got past us all. We have to take them down, and we will. Hyoheon is going to ask Hwijae for the support of his caravan. If we’re lucky, they will stay and help us plan the attack. Will you join us?’ 

 ‘I go where Hwijae goes.’ Was L’s solid response. He knew Hwijae would never let the caravan join in this fight, he was not willing to sacrifice his men to such a thing. 

 ‘Right.’ Minhyuk stared at L suspiciously before grabbing his bicep. ‘Come on, Hyoheon will want to see you.’ It took L a moment to remember that he was supposed be Myungsoo, a human person instead of his Fae self. 

 ‘What?’ Myungsoo was the one that stumbled after Minhyuk staring at him with wide eyes as he got dragged back along the path towards the tavern. 

 ‘ Hyoheon , he likes you, for some reason. He’ll want to know your opinion.’ When Minhyuk said that, Myungsoo felt apprehension fill him. He didn’t like the thought of Hyoheon appreciating him. Hyoheon was the stereotypical human. A disgusting lump of talking meat, worse than even the dokkaebi that traversed the land. But, maybe if he said the right things then he could do that. When the two entered the bar, they were met with all of the young men of the village. Hyoheon, Zuko, Jinki, and the rest Myungsoo had not met yet. Even Hoya was there, standing with crossed arms and alone in the corner of the room. 

 ‘I found out where Hyunsu went.’ Minhyuk said as he dropped Myungsoo’s arm and pushed his way to Hyoheon’s side. ‘I found ropes and dirt on the walls at the pig pen. Obviously, Hyunsu was kidnapped by  them . They must have known what was happening. They kidnapped her.’ Instantly the room broke out in sound as everyone tried to say their own opinion. Myungsoo sat down at the table in front of Hoya with Jinki. 

 ‘So, you think she was kidnapped?’ Jinki asked as he looked at Hoya, no doubt trying to be friendly. 

 ‘I don’t know.’ Hoya scowled at Jinki, looking annoyed that he was talking to him. 

 ‘Howon.’ Myungsoo snapped, trying to remind Hoya that he was meant to be  Howon and not hate humans right now. 

 ‘Fine.’ Sighing, Howon sat down beside Myungsoo, purposefully not sitting beside Jinki. 

 ‘Listen to me!’ Hyoheon cried out, gaining the attention of the room. ‘The Fae kidnapped Hyunsu  again , do you know what that means? They won’t give up! If they won’t give up that means our families are in danger. Hyunsu is just the start! Who knows who else those monsters will move onto next! We need to destroy them before they can destroy us!’ 

 ‘We already tried to attack them, we were at their mercy both times.’ Zuko interjected, gaining the attention of everyone as well. ‘I don’t remember you standing up against them boldly either time. 

 ‘I wasn’t prepared.’ Hyoheon growled out, his frustration was making the veins on his muscular neck stand out. ‘None of us were. But we will be next time. We have to be. If we aren’t prepared then that could be the end of us! In order to win we need to stand united! My family will not let a single man leave this village without arms and training!’ His words sparked a confidence in the listeners, as they imagined a Fae free world. 

 ‘Stupid.’ Jinki muttered, ‘there is no reason why we would win this time.’ 

 ‘Don’t you support the fight?’ Myungsoo asked, staring at Jinki curiously. 

 ‘I’m a pacifist.’ He retorted, waving his hand in the air, before smiling sheepishly. ‘At least, I try to be, I always get dragged into whatever everyone else is planning.’ 

 ‘You shot Hyunsu in the leg.’ Howon stated with a glare, making Jinki jolt then flush. 

 ‘How do you know that?’ 

 ‘You said it the first day we met you.’ Myungsoo answered. ‘You were asking how she was.’ 

 ‘Oh, yeah that was an accident. I thought she was a Fae, she looked like one.’ Jinki said looking at the table in thought. ‘I wonder if she left. Maybe she wasn’t kidnapped.’ He leaned back in his seat, not bothering to hide his thoughts from the strangers. 

 ‘Everyone else thinks she was kidnapped.’ Myungsoo said as he looked around the room. They were all listening intently to Hyoheon’s continuing speech about fighting and rescuing Hyunsu. 

 ‘They don’t know her.’ Jinki retorted before pausing when he looked at Zuko. ‘At least, most of them don’t. Just because we were raised with each other, doesn’t mean we understand each other.’ 

 ‘So you won’t fight then?’ Howon asked, ignoring what Jinki was saying. He didn’t want to be reminded about Hyunsu. 

 ‘I will. I will no doubt be dragged into it again. Either way, I am not going to leave my friends behind.’ Jinki shrugged, he had long since accepted that he was easily pushed around. Not to say that he was strictly a follower, he just wanted to support his friends too much. Sometimes that meant letting them guide him. 

 ‘A fight like this isn’t something you should get forced into. It won’t end well.’ Myungsoo said softly. It was too easy for bad things to happen. All it required was a slip of the mouth or someone being too trusting. For this situation, he would say that Jinki was too trusting. ‘If Jinki were one of them, it would be okay if he were trusting, the Fae would never betray each other. But the humans? That was a totally different case. He would never trust a human. 

 ‘I know. But I won’t let them go in alone.’ Jinki said his words with a determined expression. He didn’t care what it took, he would try and help them. He had failed when it came to Minhyuk’s cousin Taehyung. He died upon their first encounter with the Fae. ‘Even if it will lead to my death.’ Jinki said as the young teen’s death fully encompassed his mind. 

 ‘I understand.’ Myungsoo whispered, nodding at the human beside him. It was a foolish choice but an understandable one. Perhaps, if he met him in the fight, L would not hurt him. Afterall, Jinki was so far the best human he had seen. But, there could be no sympathy. They didn’t deserve it. 

 

* * *

 

** With a yelp, Yeonjung fell forwards. Her body jolted as a set of arms wrapped around her, holding her in place. Her eyes misted as if unable to register the wooden base in front of her. Her chest was heaving, as if it didn’t register that she was breathing, and was attempting to fill her lungs with as much air as it could. **

** ‘Are you okay?’ Sungyeol’s breathe tickled her ear as he spoke from behind her. **

** ‘What-’ Yeonjung faltered, her mind stalling as she tried to come up with what to say. Her fingers reached tentatively towards the wood as she started to feel her crossed legs beneath her. She hadn’t moved, but, she had. ‘I moved,’ she said slowly. Sungyeol laughed as he slowly let go of her, once he knew that she wouldn’t fall. ‘What did you see?’ She could hear his clothes rustling as he pushed himself against the tree beneath him until he was in front of her. **

**   ‘No, wait.’ He held a hand up in the air as he grinned at her. ‘Don’t tell me. Not yet.’ **

** Yeonjung’s eyes widened as she tried to comprehend what just happened. She knew Sungyeol could see her confusion, yet he refused to say anything. He just stared at her with his shining eyes and secretive smile. **

** ‘Remember,’ he said as he leaned in towards her. ‘Don’t tell Sunggyu.’ With a wink he stood up then held his hand out to her, offering help. With a hesitant smile she took his hand and let him pull her up. **

** ‘I don’t even know what I would tell him.’ She said with twisted lips. Instantly, Sungyeol laughed then gently rested his hand on her shoulder. **

** ‘Good.’ Sungyeol continued smiling and his body seemed to shake with barely contained excitement. ‘This is exciting.’ He breathed out. ‘Hoya and L will be back soon, and-’ Yeonjung stared at him with furrowed eyebrows as he continued to speak, not noticing her body sway. **

** ‘I need a moment.’ She whispered, grasping his sleeve. Her head was spinning and her senses felt odd, she couldn’t explain it but something felt different, wrong. In that moment, her body felt lacking, she knew something was missing. **

** ‘What’s wrong?’ He barely turned around in time to catch her body as she fainted. Sungyeol’s mouth fell open then he scanned the area with wide panicked eyes as he picked her up. He sighed heavily then carried her to the infirmary for the second time that day.  His whole trip to the infirmary, he was cautiously looking over his shoulder. **

** ‘Sungyeol.’ Instantly the Fae jumped and looked behind him, wincing when he saw Dongwoo. **

** ‘Brother.’ He said with a small smile. His expression became flustered as the older Nixes eyes trailed to Yeonjung and stared at her with a speculative expression before he looked back at Sungyeol. **

** ‘What did you do?’ **

** ‘Why do you think it was me?’ He tried to look offended, but he knew it was pointless. Dongwoo’s eyes were already hardening. His cheeks flexed as he clenched his jaw and glared at Sungyeol. **

** ‘You are an idiot.’ His words came out in a growl as he walked past Sungyeol. ‘We need to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible.’ **

** ‘You know what’s wrong?’ Sungyeol followed after Dongwoo with wide eyes. The young Nix had no idea why she had fainted, he had no way of knowing that he could have killed her. But Dongwoo knew, and was unwillingly cleaning up after his younger brother, once again. Sometimes, it felt like that was all he and Sunggyu did. Not that Dongwoo could claim they were any better, the seven of them were all energetic and caused chaos. But the eldest were required to clean up the messes. **

** ‘Yes, and so will Sunggyu. So unless you handle this properly we will both be in trouble.’ Dongwoo said with a low voice as he stormed his way into the infirmary, going through multiple bottles and labeled containers as he went. ‘I don’t even know if we have what we need. We never try to prepare for this. We have no reason for it.’ His slender fingers picked through the next cabinet, the veins flexing on his forearms as he moved each item around. **

** ‘We don’t have to prepare for anything. It’s simple to do! Nobody gets hurt!’ Sungyeol snapped, his cheeks flushing with indignation. He jerkily laid Yeonjung on the bed and covered her with a blanket. **

** ‘We don’t get hurt, they do.’ Dongwoo growled back as he dropped his arms to his side. ‘You better hope they get back soon, you might have just killed her. Go get mother. Now.’ **

** ‘Killed her?’ Sungyeol gulped and looked at Yeonjung guilty. **

** ‘Go!’ Dongwoo said as he shoved his brother towards the door. Sungyeol stumbled and stared at Dongwoo disoriented, still trying to figure out what was going on. **

** ‘Okay.’Sungyeol whispered once he regained his stance. With a final look towards the pale girl, he ran out of the infirmary, hoping that Dongwoo was exaggerating. **

 

 

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

  
  
  
 

**  'We're getting out of here.' The leader of the caravan adjusted his glasses as he stared down Myungsoo and Howon. 'The villagers are serious about making war.' **

**  'What about your signs, you said we would leave tomorrow.' Myungsoo's fingers flexed, a physical sign of his longing to corrupt the land of the humans. He had barely done anything, nothing had been sabotaged. Wordlessly a letter was handed to Howon who read it gravely before passing it to Myungsoo, whose face paled instantly. **

**  'If you want your friend to die, we will remain. However, I believe there are things to balance.' Hwijae's words hinted to the job of the highest of the Fae, hinted to what they had to learn. He was not a man to leave before the omens said, but such things bested omens. Omens could only be relied on when essence and the physical of the world were in balance. **

**  'How soon.' Myungsoo's hand reached to his pocket where the has-been Nymph's pendent was, the pendent that now belonged to Hyunsu. His lips pressed into a line as the name of the human crossed it. No, she was no longer Hyunsu. She had been Yeonjung for quite awhile, the letter was proof. **

**  'I am clearing it with the lord of the village now. Our special add-on will be back soon with the answer.' **

**  'I refuse to travel with that scum.' Howon's lips curled as he spoke, the mere thought of the gumiho filling him with disgust. If he had the way he thought would make balance, he would have the creature tied to a pole and beat in penance for his crimes. **

**   'Balance does not always mean violence. That is something the Fae have yet to understand.' The caravan leader looked at Howon knowingly, not shrinking when the Nix's cruel gaze fell on him. **

**  'What would you know, you are of the protected. You are not the protector, we are.' Howon said stepping towards the Nix. **

**  'Leave him.' Myungsoo said as he rested his hand upon his brother's shoulder. 'We are still young. The Balancer's have always taught us that protection comes from many things, I have no doubt he knows what he is saying.' **

**  'If he knew he wouldn't make us consort with the gumiho! We will leave earlier today to leave the fight behind, but the fox will make sure the caravan is mauled on its way out the gates!' His hissed words went from the human tongue to Nymphean in mere moments. **

**  'That will not happen.' Hwijae shook his head, the beads in his short braids knocking together with light clunks as he did. 'I trust in the Lord of the village, and I trust the Gumiho will not betray us. He may be a mischief maker, but he would not be so fast to betray someone who helped him.' **

**  'Yeah, helped him steal a piece of Nymphean essence.' Howon's words were thick with disgust as he thought about the pendant that was handed off. **

**  'That is not what happened.' He said as he shook his head. 'I will not explain myself to you, not when you are unwilling to listen. We leave as soon as the fox returns.' **

**  'Thank you for allowing us to travel with you.' Myungsoo nodded his head to Hwijae respectively and the Nix looked at him blankly but waved his hand in the air in a friendly manner. **

**  'It was my honor.' With those words he turned and walked away, his multicolored tunic brushing against the caravans as he navigated through the small area. With a sharp nod to the mans back Myungsoo headed to the caravan he and Howon stayed in, getting ready to pack his goods. The elder Fae watching his brother go, then clenched his molars tight as he imagined their exit as not only a betrayal of their kind, following the lead of that fox. But also seeing it as a weakness, not staying to schedule for the simple reason that the humans were getting excited, leaving as though they feared the vermin. **

 

 

**  By the time the Fae had managed to follow the caravan out of the village, it was nearing evening and the only sound was the laughter of the women the gumiho was entertaining. 'We must move faster.' L whispered to Hoya. His hooded eyes never once looked back at the human village, leaving behind the persona of Myungsoo without any grievance. **

**  'I doubt our beloved caravan leader would allow that.' Hoya said sharply, his fingers clenching the belt of his tunic with whitened knuckles. L narrowed his eyes at his brother before sighing and shaking his head. **

**  'You cannot blame him for everything. The point to remember is that we are making our way home. We will continue our war, and we will win.' The duo only relaxed when their shins were free of the tall waving grass, and their boots were stepping upon the dirt of the forest. **

**  'Soon we will be parting ways, hm?' The gumiho used his wily smile as he slung his arms over Hoya and L's shoulders making his way between them. **

**  'Get off me.' Hoya shook his shoulder and in moments had the Fox pinned against the tree. The girl's the gumiho had been flirting with gaped and grabbed their skirts as L rolled his eyes and stared. 'I couldn't be happier to leave your tailed carcass behind.' **

**  'My  sexy tailed carcass-' The gumiho smirked, his eyes glittering with his sure confidence. 'Won't be de-animated by a child like you. Put me down Fae.' **

**  'It would be right for me to put you down.' Hoya snapped, imagining snapping the neck of the fox. 'The world would be all the better.' **

**  'I'm sure it would.' The gumiho leaned forwards, his nose inches from the Fae's. 'But you won't. Because you can't.' As Hoya moved to smash in the head of the fox, he disappeared from Hoya's grasp leaving only a stick. Hoya's grip snapped the stick in two as he swiveled around to find the fox, instead his eyes met Hwijae's. **

**  'I believe it is time for you to depart.' The caravan leader crossed his arms looking at the Fae with clear disapproval. **

**  'We will. I apologize for my brothers actions.' L closed his eyes and sighed, pretending he wasn't ready to do the same thing to the fox that had tried to play around with them. **

**  'I understand them. But we have no space for that. You two should get back to your war.' Without waiting for an answer Hwijae turned away from and led his caravan away from them. **

**  'Time to get home.' L pulled a pair of gloves on and laid his palm on the trunk of a tree, breathing out in relief as he felt the world around him spin normally again. Nothing was contorted or blurry like in the human village. His job was clear, and he had only one thing to attend to. **

**  Instead of responding Hoya watching the fox walk away with the caravan of humans, a sneer pulling at his lips. Shaking his head Hoya jumped and grabbed at a branch, his arms flexed as he pulled himself up and started following his brother up to the canopy village waiting for them. **

 

****

** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **

 

 

** Hyunsu spun, her ratty stockings catching on the wood planks in her room. Each spin assaulted her nose with the scent of medicinal herbs and dust. Her lips twitched as she imagined a noble man spinning with her, his fingers entwined with hers. She could feel clothed palms brushing her skin, feel warmth from the body near her. **

**  There were no words spoken between them, but the faster they spun the more she could hear his voice echoing in the silence of the room, asking if she was ready, if she was with him. **

**  Her eyes closed and she let out a heavy sigh. As she breathed in she choked on the tangible taste of blood that coated her tongue. She could feel a palm on her back keeping her close, a palm over her eyes keeping her blind. **

**  'I'm protecting you.' His voice shook her as they spun faster. It was too fast. She could feel her stomach moaning in protest, her throat tightening in apprehension. 'Will you protect them?' As he spoke she felt her feet slipping on the wood planks, on mud. Leaves stuck to her feet, her stockings tearing away from branches. Hyunsu opened her mouth, feeling tears wetting her cheeks, ready to answer, then she slipped. **

 

**  Yeonjung gasped and wiped at her moist cheeks as she shot up in the bed. Her fingers grasped at the soft blanket covering her. Her relief was cut off as Sungyeol clutched her into his chest. His breath fast and excitable as his smell penetrated her senses. Her mouth greedily sucked up air, desperately trying to banish the copper taste, replacing it with the crisp smell of flower petals and sanded wood. But it didn't work. **

**  'You're okay. You're okay.' He spoke with obvious relief, only pulling away when he was sure that she was living. **

**  'I don't understand.' Yeonjung spoke slowly, her eyes going to her feet. They were clean but she could still feel the mud in her toes, the branches scraping at her feet. **

**  'You have been cured.' Dongwoo said as he dropped clothes into a fire in the room. She could see him wiping something gold off his hands as he did, his eyes focused on the coloured smudges. As she stared at him she noticed something. Like a child reaching for treats too far away, she couldn’t find what it was. Her knowledge was just out of reach. **

**  Hoya's boots scraped against the floor of the medical room as he stepped forwards. 'Congratulations.' His voice was weary and eyes heavy with consideration. She could see his quivering lips and the fierce pull of his thick eyebrows. She could see something tugging at him, like a long ignored child. A taint that refused to be forgotten any longer **

**  'You're back.' Yeonjung's voice wavered as she spoke and she looked over at Sungyeol, mentally questioning when he had arrived. Instead of answering the Nix looked away and said nothing. **

**  'I am.' Hoya drew her attention back as he nodded.  'I'm glad you're okay.' **

**  'You can go.' Dongwoo slid off of the bed as he stared Hoya down. Hoya nodded then walked out. Sungyeol continued sitting as if he were exempt but Hoya's sudden grip on his shoulder told him otherwise. **

**  'The humans are planning on attacking us.' Dongwoo walked towards her bed, his shoulders weighted with what he was about to say. 'What will you do?' **

**  'I don't understand.' Yeonjung spoke softly looking away. Her eyes focused on the fire burning in the center of the room. The smoke that danced to the ceiling. **

**  'Yes you do.' Dongwoo sat down beside her and he looked at her, his eyes foreign to her. The expression he held was one she had not seen on his face before. 'You can't fight. You don't know how. Sunggyu thinks it is too soon for you to be involved. I agree.' **

**  'You’re acting like I will support you.' Yeonjung wanted to glare at him, she wanted to clench her jaw and be as ferocious to him as he had been to her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the energy. Her body felt as if it may collapse in on her. **

**  'You will. I know you will. You swore to.' Dongwoo's gloved fingers ran through his hair slowly before a smile pulled at his lips. 'You're one of us.' **

**  'You never believed that before.' **

**  'Neither did you.' He said before his eyes widened in a friendly way and she realised that for once his guards were down. 'You weren't before. I know that for sure. You were a human.' **

**  'You said I wasn't.' Her eyes warmed as she stared at him with confusion. Dongwoo was telling she was a human, she always had been. Her family really was her own. **

**  'No, they said you were a Nymph.' Dongwoo pulled out the pendant she had lost in the village. Sooki's pendant swung in the air as he handed it to you. 'This pendant only shows designs when held by one of us. When humans hold it, its face is blank and holds no status.' His thumb traced one of the lines. 'Each line says something about the Nymph or Nix holding it. That’s why it's blank when humans hold it, they don't have the information to show.' **

**  'But, it shows for me.' She took it into her hand and stared at the golden lines twisting and connecting across the face of the pendant. **

**  'Your friend gave up all that was left of her and put it into this pendant. When she gave it to you, she became human and that pendant became yours.' Dongwoo's eyes darkened as he stared Yeonjung down. 'The only way that is possible is if your parents gave up rights to you. They gave you up as their daughter and placed you under the woman's care.' **

**  'They made me a nymph.' Yeonjung stared at him with confusion and disbelief. Her parents were so desperate to marry her off that they had taken away her race? It seemed inexplicable to her. It made no sense. How could they give her up like that? They wanted to protect her, but they tossed her away to do it. **

**  'No. The pendant simply thought you were the Nymph, you were still human.' Dongwoo shook his head. It was why he was so hostile to her. She was walking around his home, and she was exactly why they fought to keep away. They wanted to keep all of the humans away, stop them from tainting the world. But they had accepted one in. **

**  'You're going to send me to the humans.' Yeonjung felt her chest tighten at the thought. She had given up so much to get back to the Fae, but now that she was discovered as human, she was going to be sent back, or even killed. **

**  'No, you don't belong with them. You’re no longer human.' Dongwoo shook his head and his sharp eyes narrowed. 'You gave that up, you changed yourself.' Yeonjung's lips parted as she stared at him, in disbelief. 'Nymph's can be made humans, and humans can join us as well, become part of the Nix. You did that. Yeonjung, it was your own choice.' He touched the pendant. 'Your friends essence, what she was, is now part of you.' **

**  Yeonjung stared at the stone, her fingers grasping the rock tightly. She had done more than give up her home, she gave up her humanity. Now, the humans were going to attack her new home to get her back. People were going to die because of her. Her eyes widened and she stared at Dongwoo in horror. 'It's all my fault.' **

**  'Yes it is. You chose to come back.' Dongwoo said before smiling. 'But our job is to protect our kind, to protect everyone hunted by humans. We will protect you and then, you will protect the others. It is the way it goes.' **

**  'You won't protect humans.' She faltered as he scowled. **

**  'Never.' **

**  'You'll harm them, torture them.' Yeonjung said with a shaking voice as she remembered the one time she had gone with them. **

**  'We'll do what we have to.' He stood up as he spoke. Both societies had their faults, and this was the fault she chose. 'You don't have to watch.' **

**  'Please don't hurt them.' She grabbed his arm, his bicep tightening underneath the cloth as if he were trying to scare her away, show his strength. 'I grew up with them, they aren't all bad. Just like you're not all monsters, neither are they.' **

**  'Don't beg me to be kind. It's not my decision.' He pulled away from her. Dongwoo form seemed to droop before he pulled her into a hug. 'We're family now. I won't treat you the way I used to. None of us will.' **

****

  
 

 

 

 


End file.
